Midnight's Moon
by MysticStoryteller
Summary: Imogen is a young woman living in 1944, who is chosen to be the next King's Wife and will revolutionize the title. Trouble arises when an evil elf lord threatens to take Marak Wolvenfang's throne and the whole Earth with it.
1. Chapter 1: The Blushing Bookworm

Disclaimer: I would love to own The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy, but alas, I cannot.

_A/N: Hey everyone! This is my first Hollow Kingdom fan fiction and I'm basically excited about it. I've been working on it for a while and I finally think it's time to post it. It's not my best considering I think I've been working on this most of the year and I've improved a lot since then. Oh and just in case you're wondering the year is 1944, a year before WWII ended. I actually kind of just decided that, since it was really supposed to be Victorian period and then it was after the Titanic sank. So yeah, it's changed a lot.. But I don't think it'll change again and I'm very much taken with the idea of this time period since no known women were taken at this time. Next chapter I'll try and post a cast list. Now then, please do enjoy!_

- - -

Imogen Fairesilver stared at the monster's hideous face. She could not help but panic. She was being taken away. She screamed and began to hyperventilate. Her tears came hard and quick and yet…she was not afraid of the monster that was carrying her quickly through the woods.

No. She did not fear him. She knew that in his hands, she was safe. She'd known it since they day they'd met. It had only been a few days ago, but it felt like ages…

Imogen was the kind of girl who loved to read. Give her a good book and she could read for hours. She was becoming quite a literary fanatic and was even trying her hand at writing. However when she had tried her hand at writing a few times, she found no success. She was also a thorough lover of nature and music. She had beautiful cropped, brown, curly hair and almost black eyes.

As for her parents, she had no father. He had died fighting in the slowly dying embers of World War II. He had been a quiet, yet appraising sort of fellow. He was tall, but still very robust. He was often away on trips or working vigorously at work. She'd never known him well (their relationship was full of quiet dinners and occasional hugs before bed) but soon wished she had.

At first, when he went off to war it was surreal; in fact, she remembered watching him, from her large bedroom window, drive away and feeling as though he was only going for a few days. But when rationing and death came into play, it was frightening. Suddenly, Imogen's life was full of fear and worry for her father. But when the news came, Imogen was devastated.

Her mother, who was still in grief, was a rather plump woman named Lydia. She waddled around in a rather comical manner. She tended to be a gossiper which was one of the reasons why she loved the parties and social events that made Imogen's head spin. She always taught Imogen that manners and feminity were the most important things for a girl Imogen's age to learn and master. As her only child, Imogen had been a little hard to handle after her father's death.

Imogen had been engaged, from birth, to handsome fellow named Paul Fitzgerald. He was studying to be a doctor of medicine. She couldn't love him. He was much too serious and far too smart for his own good. From the moment she was told about the betrothal, she decided that betrothals were horrid and untoward things that did not encourage true love.

After her father had died, Imogen's mother announced that they could no longer stay in their quaint house in Berkshire, England. Instead they went back to the estate that their father managed: Hallow Manor.

Hallow Manor was the place that Imogen could get lost in. She felt that way about it often. It was almost too big. She was used to the cottage she used to have for a home. Something about this place didn't feel safe. Not safe at all. However, it did have a nice big library. That was Imogen's location when the problem started.

She was trying in vain to read a literature classic as her mother skittered about nervously. "Oh my! Oh my!" She was exclaiming. Imogen tried hard to concentrate but the image of her mother running back and forth with a feather duster in her hand was far too distracting.

"They'll be here any minute!" Her mother exclaimed still skittering about and not getting anything accomplished because she would change her mind every few seconds.. It was a wonder that she didn't hit anything.

"Calm down." Imogen commanded in an annoyed voice.

Her mother stopped, giving her an angry look. "Now, Imogen, you know that they'll show up and this whole mansion will be horridly dirty and unpleasant. Why, Paul's parents won't even want to sit down." She protested.

"_They can stand up for all I care," _Imogen thought, she rolling her eyes. Yes, Paul and his parents were coming to visit for the next few days. A big party was going to be held in honor of the wedding. Imogen sighed, it would be only three days now until the ball and on the forth was her wedding.

Her mother passed by again. She stopped, looking puzzled. "Well don't just stand there. Help me clean!" She insisted, handing Imogen a rag with which to dust.

Imogen placed her rag sadly along the wooden surfaces of the library's shelves. Married! She couldn't believe it. She didn't want to marry Paul. Sure he was handsome and polite, but she needed someone to be there to hold her in the bad times. Her father had been that person. After losing him, she couldn't accept another man in that role. She knew this and admitted it to herself often, although she never admitted it to anyone else.

As she brushed over the wood, barely dusting the bookshelves, she couldn't help but glance in a melancholy manner at the titles on the bindings: _A History of the Modern Pioneers_, _The Dragon's sword_, _How to Sew a Quilt_, _Fish and Other Sea Creatures_, _The History of Hallow Hill and the Legends that Surround it_, _Medical advances in the_- The History of Hallow Hill? Imogen stopped. She examined it carefully.

Just then there was a knock on the door. She saw her mother rush past the library doorway and exclaimed cheerily to the whole house, "They're here!"

Imogen heard the door open. She walked slowly towards the entryway while her mother and Paul's parents exchanging greetings: "Well hello Margaret, hello Lloyd!" Lydia exclaimed.

She heard Lloyd say in his deep, serious voice "Good day Lydia. It is only a few days left until the wedding. How are the plans going?" He was obviously the source of Paul's seriousness.

"Oh lovely!" Lydia lied. Imogen knew that her mother had been stressed to every extent throughout the week and the next few days would only get worse.

"That's wonderful!" Margaret said happily. "I'm so proud of my dear Paul." If there was one thing Paul's mother liked to talk about it was Paul. "Say Lydia, have you lost some weight?"

The conversation went on very politely, very cheerfully. Imogen knew that normally exchanges between parents were often full of lies or false flattery.

She walked into the entryway solemnly, making sure to put on a fake smile. Everyone's face lit up, from Mr. Fitzgerald's tall, straight, gray haired face to Mrs. Fitzgerald's medium, kind face. Even Paul, who stood between his parents, smiled slightly.

"Well hello Imogen!" Margaret went over to hug her. Margaret was very kind and quite understanding. She had her gossiping tendencies, but Imogen thought that she was the most sincere out of all three parents.

"G'day Mrs. Fitzgerald." Imogen curtsied.

"Oh please, call me mum. Or at least Margaret." She smiled as they walked into the tea room.

As Paul, Lydia, and Mr. Fitzgerald started another conversation, Margaret asked "Are you excited about getting married?"

"Kind of nervous actually." She admitted.

Mrs. Fitzgerald smiled "I remember the day I got married. I was so worried. Mr. Fitzgerald was all dressed up. He looked so handsome." She continued talking and Imogen zoned out. She sighed softly and fought with her conflicting feelings inside her mind. It was her heart verses her head: _"Why do I have to marry him? This isn't fair. _

_No, I should marry him. Father would want me to and it would break mother's heart._

_But I don't want to. He may love me, but he doesn't know me. He hasn't seen the real me!_

_But he's kind! _

_So? Kindness should not be the only reason to marry him. Besides, who knows if he even loves me! He hasn't spoken a word to me since I got here._

_Maybe he's overwhelmed like you are!_

_If that's true then we can cancel the- _Imogen was interrupted by the brisk finish of Mrs. Fitzgerald's story. "So see dear, it'll be alright."

Imogen pretended to hear. "Thank you Mrs. Fitzgerald."

"Imogen!" Lydia called, pausing from her conversation from Lloyd. "Imogen, do get the tea."

Imogen nodded, thankful for this chance to get away and breathe for a moment before plunging back into the shallow pool of fake proper attitudes.

The night moved on. Imogen liked having a few extra people in the house, even if they were her future in-laws.

However she knew it was only about to get worse…

The next day, the door opened to reveal two aunts, two uncles, seven cousins, two sets of grandparents and one very angry neighbor. Imogen was constantly having to put on the 'fake Imogen' mask. She feared that she might have to keep it on for the remainder of the next few days.

She now realized that after the next few days she would be married. She might never get to be herself again! Imogen loved being herself and the thought that marriage would make her permanently turn into the polite, quiet, perfect house wife.

No longer could she take this. She had to get away for at least an hour. She had asked her mother if she could go out into the fields and woods for a while. Her mother had reluctantly agreed.

The breeze played with her hair as she sat alone in the field. Imogen could not have asked for a more peaceful place.

Slowly, very slowly, she fell into a peaceful, deep sleep.

When she awoke, she yawned and opened her eyes slightly. She screamed. A horrible looking creature was standing over her.

He had wolf-like eyes and fur swirled over half of his body. Part of his face had fur on it but the other had silvery, paper-like skin. His hair was black with sliver streaks in it. He had hands but one arm and one foot was completely wolf. The same went for his arms. One was just skin but the other had fur twirling down on it. He wore a black cape and trousers, no shirt.

She pushed him away, making him fall in the grass. Caught off guard, he growled which frightened her more. She stood up shakily.

"Who-oo-o on earth are yo-ou…" She asked terrified.

He grinned, showing a mouth full of fangs "Your future husband."

_A/N: I LOVE this ending. Love it. haha. Well then, if you've read the author notes say "Hermione Granger" who is staring in my new Harry Potter fan fiction that will be coming out pretty soon!_


	2. Chapter 2: Marak Wolvenfang

Disclaimer: If I owned The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy, I would be a very happy man. However, I don't.

A/N: Well, here we are again! I'm thankful for my two reviewers and their great reviews. I hope that you continue to stay with this story and that it is satisfactory to you. Now, this next chapter isn't very long and, in my opinion, not very good. Mind you, it was written more than half a year ago. So, please do forgive me for its shortness and such, but I promise that it'll get better and that I will post another chapter very soon. I would like to point out that Imogen's name might be changed to Imogene, because that is how it is phonetically pronounced. Please let me know what you think of it. This is how it is phonetically pronounced. As promised, I do have some what of a cast list, though it's not perfect yet and just a few ideas. It is subject to change.

_Imogen: Saoirse Ronan from "Atonement" but seen as she appears now or in the up-coming movie "The City of Ember" (this is because she was playing someone younger in "Atonement." Although I have never seen the former movie, just seen the trailer). Or Ellen Paige from "X-Men." _

_Marak: Paul Bettany as seen in "Inkheart" and "A Knight's Tale." _

_Lydia (Imogen's Mother): Brenda Blethyn as seen in "Pride and Prejudice." _

_Margaret (Paul's mother): Julie Andrews as seen in "The Princess Dairies." _

_Lloyd (Paul's father): Christopher Plumber as seen in "National Treasure." You might know him from "The Sound of Music." _

_Paul: John Rhys Meyers from "August Rush." (Again, I've never seen it, just seen the trailer but he's very good for the part if he had slicked-back hair and an up-tight manner.)_

_Ella: None found yet._

Again, these are ideas. Don't feel obligated to change the way you view them because of this. Like I said, its subject to change and more will be coming later. Now, one LAST note. Imogen is actually quite young about sixteen. The only reasons she and Paul are marrying are for financial reasons and not true love. This is only legal because both parents agreed to it. Now, this is long. So go on and enjoy the second chapter!

"What?!" Imogen exclaimed in shock.

"You're going to be my wife." The wolf-man claimed.

She screamed again, backing away. Who was this monster? Why did he want to marry her? She hoped she had heard him wrong. Maybe this was all a dream, yes, a dream. "What are you?" She whispered.

"Well, I'm a goblin. The king of the goblins actually."

She stood up slowly and ran as fast as she could.

He grinned "Where are you going?" He called after her. He sounded like he was playing a game.

Imogen's head screamed. She couldn't take this. She must be going crazy, yes, that's it crazy.

She turned to see him running after her. What was worse, he was catching up.

Looking up in the sky, she realized that twilight was slowly slipping away. She had to get home? But how? She thought for a moment but her brain just wasn't working. All she could do was run.

Her legs soon got tired. She felt as if she had been running forever, yet still he was right behind her.

The goblin was quickly catching up. Oh how he loved a spirited bride. Yes, she was prefect, beautiful, and so full of life.

Pushing his legs harder, he began to stride, until he was almost next to her.

She screamed, trying to run as hard as she could.

"Tired?" He asked playfully.

Now she was angry. "Stop it! Leave me alone!" She screamed "I don't want to marry you!"

Here his face went serious. He did actually feel sorry for her. "You'll get used to it." He promised. It was true. Every bride got used to it. Even _he_ had to tell himself daily where his place was. The wolf like goblin loved the moon and woods. He sometimes missed them.

"Please!" Imogen began to beg "Leave me alone! I'm about to get married!" She screamed. She immediately regretted saying this. As if a marriage to a monster was worse than one to Paul. No! She told herself. She should not have thought that. What was she thinking? Paul would be a better husband than this creature would be.

The monster stopped dead in his tracks at hearing this, as did Imogen about a yard away. Oh yes! He reminded himself. She was to be married. Not that such a thing would stop a goblin king. Still…

"We're going to have a party…" She said softly, as if such a thing would actually matter to such a horrid looking creature. "It's very important."

He looked up at her, feeling her pain. "I see. Fine, you have two days. You may go to the party and say goodbye. Then, I will come and take you away on the eve of your wedding. However you may never mention this or anything about me to anyone until the night afterward." He placed his hand on her forehead and she felt a burning sensation. "Say 'goblin'." He commanded.

She tried to do so, but found that she wasn't able to. Her mouth either slurred the word or refused to open.

Tears seeped from her eyes. "How could you?" She asked, enraged. "Please, let me tell at least _one _person!"

The goblin king's eyes seemed to spark. "Very well. Just one. That is all."

"Thank you." She sighed,

"That is only because I like you."

Feeling a new energy in her legs, she ran away from him. Hollow Manor was in sight.

Again, she checked to see where he was, this time he was running faster with a determined face. Almost catching up to her again, he tried to reach out and grab her wrist.

She yelped and a blue orb shot out of her palm, hurrying towards the creature nearby.

The goblin cried out in pain. She was skilled in magic. Ah, good. He waited until the pain left and then watched her leave, calling "Farewell love! See you soon!"

Hearing these words made, Imogen ran faster. She reached out to the doors and opened them hurriedly. She locked them quickly, trying to get her breath back.

It was late. Her mother would be angry. Only a few candles were lit.

She crept up to her room, hoping not wake anyone.

When she reached her room, she breathed a sigh of relief and closed her door quietly.

She sat down on her bed and sighed. She inwardly slapped herself. If she hadn't have been so… "So what?" she asked herself out loud

Another voice chimed in."So foolish? So selfish? Why is it selfish to need some time alone?"

She jumped and looked around. There, in her door way stood the horrid monster who wanted her for a wife. She almost shrieked but he placed a hand around her mouth. "Now now," He sounded like he was talking to a child. _"Let's not wake up the relatives."_

Her eyes widened. "Yes, I can read your mind." He answered her impending question. Slowly, he removed his hand from her mouth.

"Yes, yes, I know. I should be leaving." He stood up. "I just wanted to make sure you weren't too…frightened."

"Well, you did a bad job of that!" She whispered fiercely as she led him down to the front door. She opened it quietly. _"I hope I never see him again!" _she thought inwardly, forgetting about the goblin's power. _"That ugly goblin! I hope he falls off a cliff. Or runs into a-"_

"My goodness Imogen!" the king exclaimed. "Don't be thinking that." She watched him angrily. "I have a name you know." He told her. She crossed her arms. "I am Marak Wolvenfang, king of the Goblins." He bowed mockingly.

Imogen ushered him out the door and shut it quietly. She stomped up the stairs to bed.

All her anger faded when she saw her little cousin, Ella, standing in the hall. She was only seven years old. She had pretty red hair and the cutest face on any little child. She was as innocent as an angel, although she did have her mischievous times. She was Imogen's favorite of any of her cousins.

"What are you doing up?" She asked.

"Who was that?" Ella's eyes were big and questioning.

"Can you keep a secret?" Ella nodded vigorously.

A/N: Well, let me know what you think! Oh and say "goblin" in your review, if you've read my very long author notes. And don't forget to tell me what you think of the situation with Imogen's name! Thanks so much for reading!


	3. Chapter 3: Afternoon Tea

Disclaimer: If I owned The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy, I'd be a female named Clare B. Dunkle. As it happens I am neither. Sorry.

_A/N: Well, I'm back again! This chapter was originally very short but then I decided that it needed to be a bit longer, so what else would I do? I added Marak! Haha. Marak is great. I'm really starting to be taken with the idea of him being played by Paul Bettany, who is basically perfect for the role. Alright, not much else to say, so, enjoy!_

- - -

Imogen awoke the next morning feeling particularly drowsy. She heard the loud noise of the relatives down stairs. She groaned and rolled over. All she needed to do was go back to bed. She didn't want to deal with relatives any longer.

A small knock resounded on her door. "Who is it?" Imogen asked, annoyed.

She heard the voice of her little cousin answer. "Cousin Imogen?" Ella had a strange habit of putting cousin in front of Imogen's name any time she addressed her. Her parents had taught their child manners very well. But Imogen wished that Ella would address her by her first name and first name only.

"Yes?" Imogen softened her tone.

"It's time to get up!" She announced. "Lunch is almost on the table and we need to get ready for the party tomorrow night."

"Alright." Imogen yawned and got changed before letting Ella in.

She skipped into the room. "I can't wait for the party tomorrow!" She said with glee as she set straight to jumping on the bed. She knew her cousin didn't mind.

Imogen laughed. "Well, you'll have to get off the bed so I can make it!"

Ella hopped off and pranced around the room. "Have you picked out something to wear yet?" Imogen asked.

"Yep!" She grinned. "It's a pretty blue dress. I love it!"

Imogen chuckled to herself "Why, you'll be the talk of the night!" She exclaimed jokingly.

Ella looked proud, not hearing Imogen's slightly sarcastic tone. "Have you picked out anything to wear?" She asked.

"Not yet."

Ella looked at her in sheer horror. "You haven't!"

"No." Imogen confirmed.

"Well as soon as we get the chance, I'll help you pick out something." The little girl told her cousin seriously.

Imogen laughed. "Alright." There was a moment of silence as Imogen went about folding a few clothes that were strewn on the floor. She was no neat freak that was for sure.

Suddenly, in a hushed voice Ella asked. "Imogen? Is a goblin really going to take you away?"

Imogen was surprised, she had almost forgotten. She turned to face the little girl sitting on her freshly made bed. "Yes, Ella. He is." She was struck by how calm the voice came out.

"What about Paul?" She asked softly. Imogen had almost forgotten, Ella liked Paul. He was always bright and cheery around Ella, giving her a lollipop or telling her a story. But when she left he became a very different man.

Imogen sighed. "I don't know…"

"Will I ever see you again?" Ella looked sad.

Again, Imogen didn't know. Marak hadn't told her. "Ella, I hope so…" She trailed off. Then a few moments later, she snapped out of her thoughts and said "Well, we ought to get down stairs and help with the party, shouldn't we?"

Her little cousin jumped up, happily and grabbed Imogen's hand. "Sure."

X.X.X.

With everything going on, Imogen convinced her mother to give her some time alone. This time, however, she picked the back garden (which was much safer than walking out in the fields) and called for some tea.

The chair next to her sat adjacent, empty. It looked almost too empty, as if a ghost should be sitting there.

She sat back in her seat, breathing in the fresh air. It hadn't quite sunk in yet that Marak would actually take her away. But she seemed to know it in her mind and that was enough for her; she couldn't take having it actually looming over her more than it already was.

Sighing, she glanced down at the newspaper lying neatly on the clean white tablecloth. She picked it up, stirring her tea absentmindedly. As the small spoon clinked clearly against the china and a small wisp of heat rose out of the glass, Imogen stared at the front cover.

It spoke of the war's final slowing. The boldface letters screamed of how things would soon be over. But Imogen could no longer take the pictures or the dancing words: they meant nothing to her anymore.

She set it down and sipped her tea, contemplating how she would say goodbye. She couldn't tell them because she'd already told Ella and both were sworn to secrecy by magic. It was a very nasty situation. She was upset with herself for not thinking of telling everyone at once, but she figured it wouldn't have worked anyway.

Suddenly, the sky darkened and the wind picked up. Imogen grasped her cup so hard that she was sure it would break. And then Marak appeared, with a puff of smoke, into the adjacent chair.

"Marak!" She put a hand to her heart, which was beating faster than a drum. Her face registered horror.

"Hello Imogen." He smiled, picking up the tea cup.

"What are you doing here?" She stood up, hysterical. "Get out of here! Get out right away!"

He did not seem bothered; in fact he seemed quite nonchalant. Slowly he pored himself a glass of tea. "Oh sit down dear." He said causally, picking up the sugar tong and plopping some sugar cubes into his tea. "Just calm yourself a little and I'll tell you." She sat down, feeling defeated.

"I just figured we should get to know each other a bit more. And why not? If we're to be married, I'd like more of a…foundation per se."

"Marak, I'm fifteen! I can't marry you!" She huffed.

"And I'm one-thousand and three." He chuckled. "No, I'm only joking. I'm not that old. But, age doesn't matter does it? Besides, Paul is twenty-one."

She was silent. "That's…different. I don't want to marry him! But our parents decided. And therefore it's supposedly legal."

"Well, then think of marrying me as a ticket out of a very bad marriage." He chuckled.

She grimaced and crossed her arms. "I hate you."

"Ah, those are _very _strong words my dear." He insisted. "Why not say, 'I very strongly dislike you?'"

"I very strongly dislike you." She bit her lip so hard that it began to bleed.

He handed her a handkerchief. "There. That wasn't so difficult, was it? You know, they say that the first step to curing one's self is to admit that there's a problem."

"I don't need to be cured, I need you to leave!" She insisted.

Marak didn't seem to notice her urgency. "Ah, worry not. All in good time." He took a small silver spoon and stirred his tea.

Imogen sighed loudly. "But what if they come out here!" She whispered harshly.

"Well, then I'll disappear. You hopefully haven't forgotten that I can use magic." He looked up at her, seeing her blank reaction. "So who did you choose?"

It took her a minute to figure out what he meant. "My cousin Ella."

Marak's eyebrow rose. "Imogen…you are simply a great marvel. And here I was expecting you to be like the other brides that I've read of." He smirked.

"What do you mean?" She asked indignantly.

"I mean, I had figured that most people would choose to tell their parent or sibling. These are of course bad choices considering most would not believe them. But to choose a young child who would willingly believe is a very good choice." He grinned. "Rather attractive if you ask me."

Imogen stared. For a moment there was silence and then she shook her head. Finally, she willed herself to ask the question on her mind. "Why did you choose me?"

It was Marak's turn to be surprised. "Excuse me?"

"I asked why, out of all the girls in the world, did you choose me?"

"Ah," Marak took out a napkin and dabbed his lips. "A very good question. You _are_ a smart one." He took a breath and began. "Hallow Hill has played home to goblins for many centuries. Now, when the manor was built, the goblins were rather curious.

"You see, it is tradition for the Goblin king to choose a bride with elf blood in her veins, so as to make the royal family a bit more…attractive and keep us looking regal. Now not very many human females _do_ have elf blood, but some. Like you."

She stopped him. "Elf blood?" Her head was spinning: Goblins and now elves? What more?

"Yes, you are an elf. A one-forth elf." He frowned. "Sadly, you are the most pure of the elf-humans still existing. That lovely half-race is…dying." He sighed quietly.

"What's the matter?" Imogen asked, not fully understanding.

He sighed. "Our race made a pact with the elves not to steal their women. Therefore, to keep our pledge of marriage, we had to steal human-elf brides."

"That's awful…" Imogen said quietly, feeling bad for all those brides who had come before her.

"It's tradition." Marak lifted up his head. "I shall leave you know love. Remember, one more day…" And then he was gone, leaving Imogen to her thoughts of the coming days. Little did she know that the coming days would be even darker than she could've dreamed.

A/N: Ah, sorry if you think the end is a bit cheesy. Anyway, say "cullen" in your review if you've read my author notes!


	4. Chapter 4: Preparation

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hollow Kingdom trilogy.

A/N: Well, here we are again! This chapter was another short one but I lengthened it a bit. So, basically, this chapter is just preparation for the party and nice chat with Ella. I was told to slow down a bit, but do try and understand that I have several chapters already written, so it's a pain to go back and change it all. But hopefully this one will be a nice change. Don't worry; the action will pick up a bit soon. Well, then, thank you for reading and enjoy!

"Hurry then! Uncle Mark and his wife will be here any moment!" Imogen's mother exclaimed, dusting furiously.

Imogen sat in the kitchen, making food with her aunt, two great aunts and widowed grandma.

"Oh, Imo!" Her grandma exclaimed, using Imogen's tentative nickname. "I'm so happy for you! Paul is a lovely man. He'll make a good husband."

"And he's handsome too!" The first of the great aunt's added (she was a bit of a flirt).

Imogen wanted to say how much she didn't like Paul and how he wasn't her type. But all that came out of her mouth was "Thanks."

"Oh dear!" Her grandma exclaimed, her wrinkled face withered with worry. "Aren't you excited about getting married?"

"Well, I just don't feel ready…"

"Oh, none of us were." Said the second, skeptical great aunt.

Her aunt, Voila, laughed. "Oh and look where you ended up!"

"Well! That's very kind of you." Her second great aunt said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Oh Aunt Mary, it was only a joke." Imogen said, rolling the dough with her hands.

"Well, all I can say is that if you want your husband to like you, you might as well not crack jokes like those." She huffed.

As Imogen stuck the dough onto a plate, she couldn't help by realize how easy it would be for Marak to waltz in and take her. It was going to be a masked ball, or masquerade as you will. Not only would her most of her relatives be attending, but also family friends, fellow church members, colleague businessmen and a whole number of important people. This thought made her sigh.

The party was tomorrow and her mother was already rushing to and fro, practically whizzing everywhere. "Mum, slow down." Imogen urged.

Her mother stopped, looking at Imogen as if she had just claimed that goblins existed or Santa Claus really lived in the North Pole. "Slow down? Slow down?!" Her mother sounded exasperated. "I can't afford to relax! We have a party to organize, a house to clean, food to bake!" She threw her hands up in the air and went back to hurrying about.

She turned back to her baking and sighed. "Was she always like this?" She asked Aunt Viola.

Her aunt smiled and nodded. "Yes. Always. From the first day I can remember." Imogen should have known. It was obvious that her mother was painted this way and could not be changed. Viola continued. "I remember that whenever anyone wanted to do something risky, she would always get anxious and worrisome. She was afraid that people would misinterpret her actions. It's sad really. And what was worse was that she was usually right."

Imogen frowned. "That too bad."

Her aunt sighed and agreed. "Indeed it tis." There was silence for a moment, before Aunt Voila asked "Imogen, do you think you can go check on Ella for me? It seems that she went out to the garden."

"What about the baking?" Imogen didn't want to leave her relatives with all the work.

"I can take it from here." Viola winked and Imogen walked off to the garden to find her favorite little cousin.

The garden was one of Imogen's favorite places in the new house. It was beautiful. It had a little pond with a fountain that gurgled into it. The hedges were well cut and the flowers gave off a comforting aroma. It was no wonder why Ella choose such a comforting spot to sit and think. She almost looked lost in the middle of all those hedges.

She sat down quietly. All that could be heard was the soft slosh of the water behind them. After a moment, she broke the silence. "Ella, are you alright?"

Ella was silent. A tear ran down her cheek. She placed her head on Imogen's shoulder and sobbed. There were a few quiet moments before Imogen asked. "Darling, what's wrong?"

Ella stood up with fury. Tears were running freely off her cheeks now. "You can't leave!" She stomped her feet loudly on the ground.

"Shhhhh" Imogen put a finger to her mouth and sat Ella back down for fear someone might hear. "Now now. It's not like I want to go."

"But you are!" Ella cried.

"Yes but maybe…just maybe, I _can_ visit you from time to time." She could only hope the goblin king would not be so cruel as to deny her that. "I'll ask him straight away when I see him next.

Ella's eyes lit with hope for a moment. "Do you think he'll let you?"

Imogen sighed. "I don't know. They've got lots of rules and such and I don't know…It might be against tradition or something."

The hope was drained. "Oh…"

"But I promise to try." She paused, thinking. "He's a nice guy really. I mean, under all that taunting and the fact that he's going to kidnap me, I think he really cares.

Ella was skeptical. "Imogen, he can't be nice." She crossed her arms. "It's not possible. The guy's a goblin for goodness sake."

Imogen wanted to laugh at Ella's matter-of-fact face. "Well, I'll try at least. Want to hear something crazy?"

Ella nodded, very interested.

"Well, he says that I've supposedly got elf blood in my veins."

Ella grinned. "Really? Wow! That's so great!" She laughed. "I've always wanted to meet an elf!"

"Haha. Well, apparently I'm only like a one third-elf or something like that."

"Still!"

They laughed for a few minutes and then Ella's smile faded. "I'm gonna miss you." Hr lip quivered.

"Aw, that's alright." Imogen hugged her comfortingly. "Well, one day, when I have a child, I hope she'll grow up and be just like you." She touched Ella's nose affectionately.

This seemed to brighten Ella's day slightly. "Really?" She asked.

"Really." Imogen confirmed. "Now, let's go and set up for the party alright? And remember, not a word of this to anyone else."

A/N: Well, what do you think? Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know. No flamer's please.

Ella: Yeah, not flamers (sticks out tongue).

Me: Be nice.

Marak: (runs across the stage) Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Me: (falls over) Ow! I'm okay!

Imogen: We should probably let the readers get back to whatever they were doing.

Marak: Eh…but they like us (fake pout)!

Imogen: Well, maybe not after this. Anyways, review. Say "lollipop" in your review.

Marak: Why "lollipop"? Why not "jingle bells" or "bats are funky"?

Imogen: … You've had sugar today haven't you?

Marak: (Crazy smile) Mayyyyyyyyyyyybe…

Imogen: Alright, farewell! Say "Marak likes sugar" in your review if you've read the author notes. Thanks for reading!

Me: Yeah, thanks! And sorry about that. I just had to. It was too fun. I hope you had fun too. So, anyways, say what she said above and the next chapter shall be up in a few days. Bye!


	5. Chapter 5: Taken

_Disclaimer: I would love to own the Hollow Kingdom trilogy, but alas, tis already owned._

_A/N: Well, here we are again! I figure that I have enough chapters in tow to add another. This one is a bit shorter, but it was written a while ago. Like with the last chapter, I had to add on a lot to this one and change it a bit, since the plot was much different. Believe it or not, this fic used to be like a lot of other Hollow Kingdom fics: A girl gets kidnapped by Marak and is angry about. Then she grows to love him. Boring huh? Well, this is a lot different. A lot, a lot, a lot different. Anyways, two things before I go. The first is that I'll be adding a song for each chapter that one may listen to if they choose. The song for this chapter is "My Skin" by Natalie Merchant . Understand that I don't know all these lyrics, so forgive me if there's something you don't agree with. Secondly, the cast list has been updated! I have found the perfect Imogen and perfect Marak! I also found an Ella. _

_Cast List_

_Imogen: Rachel Leigh Cook_

_Marak: Trent Ford (preferred but Paul Bettany could also work.) _

_Lydia: Brenda Blethyn_

_Margaret: Lizzie's Aunt from Pride and Prejudice (The Keria Knightly verison)_

_Llyod: Christopher Plumber_

_Aunt Voila: Julie Andrews_

_Paul: John-Rhys Meyers_

_Ella: Bailee Madison_

_By the way, this cast list is posted on my profile, should you be interested. I will let you know if any changes are made. Well then, enjoy this next chapter!_

- - -

The door bell rang. Imogen hurriedly went to answer it. Her dress rustled as she went. It was the night of the party.

She opened the door and smiled a fake smile while a troop of her church members tromped in. She hardly noticed them. Marak would come and take her away tonight. She had to say goodbye. Especially to Ella, who already knew tonight was Imogen's last night.

Ella appeared and walked towards Imogen. She looked solemn. Imogen said nothing but leaned down to give her a comforting hug and a kiss on the head. Ella was downtrodden. She had almost stuck like glue to Imogen after finding out about this final night.

"It'll be fine." Imogen promised weakly.

"No, it won't." Ella said softly, looking at her little black shoes.

"I promise I'll ask the goblin king if I can come see you sometime. And I also swear I'll say goodbye to you before I leave." Imogen gave her a small smile.

x.X.x.

Later, the dances began and the moon was full. Imogen couldn't enjoy herself. The others were dancing and laughing. They wouldn't understand…until it was too late.

Just then, a figure entered the room. He was hooded and had a silver mask was over his face. Imogen's heart rate sped up. _"How clever…"_

Paul, looking suave, walked up to her, blocking her view of the goblin king. "Hello my blushing bride. Care to dance?"

That was the last thing she needed right then. But, what else could she do? "Alright," she said, biting her lip. "For a few minutes."

He pulled her out onto the floor, and pressed her close to himself. "I'm so glad we're together you know," he said, after a while. "I…I don't remember smiling so much before I met you."

A pang of guilt resounded in her heart. "Is…that so?"

"Yes. I've never been happier."

She wished she could say the same. "Good…" she said, looking around for Marak who she knew was probably stalking her and chuckling at how witty he was.

He stared at her. "Are you…looking for someone? I can go find them if-"

A tap on the shoulder interrupted him. "Mind if I…cut in?"

Imogen froze. She knew that voice. Like the voice of a child killing an innocent animal. Paul got noticeably more ridged. "Go right ahead."

Marak advanced, placing his hands around her waist just as the tango music began. _How…fitting_. Imogen thought.

"You look ravishing this evening darling," he murmured, his dark eyes glinting beneath his cloak.

She didn't look at him. "I wish," she promenaded with him as they began to dance. "I could say the same for you."

He was gentle, but still showing his control. "You are feisty, aren't you?"

Emotions were bubbling above the surface now. "Why…Why me? I never did anything to you?" she insisted.

He chuckled. "You're just…the one. And how do I know? I simply," he grinned. "Do. Now, go and pack your things. We leave soon." He let her go. "And…dear? Don't try and run."

She turned before going back to meet his gaze. "Oh and darling? Never call me dear."

She turned away to hear his quiet, amused laughter. On impulse she almost ran, but then she thought of Ella. _I swore to say goodbye…_ She strode over to Ella and frowned.

Ella seemed to know. "Goodbye my favoritest cousin." She managed a small smile. "Be the best queen ever, mkay?"

Imogen nodded. "I'll try." She leaned down and hugged the little girl. "I'll miss you!" She kissed the top of Ella's head. "When I'm gone, you think up something clever okay?"

Ella nodded and gave her a thumbs up. "Will do."

"You be good now, okay?"

Solemnly, Ella shook her head. "Knock 'em dead cuz!"

Imogen grinned. "I'll try." She repeated.

Suddenly, a strange idea popped into her head. Why couldn't she just run away? Then she'd be able to live on with Ella and maybe marry Paul. Picking up the folds of her skirt, she ran into the other room. She had to find somewhere safe. But where to?

The garden.

x.X.x.

The water bubbled softly as Imogen ran into the garden, her heels clicking on the cobblestone patio. She spotted the hedge maze and ran quickly into it; she had to get away from him.

However…she did not notice Marak running quietly after her. He raised his hand and a purple beam of light shot out, surrounding the maze. Imogen had no time to notice.

x.X.x.

She ran for hours but couldn't find the exit. She felt disoriented and she was frightened. He would find her any minute.

Every now and then, she heard a noise in the bushes but then she were hear it again, and it would seem everywhere.

But then, she felt something touch her neck. "Sorry Dearest…" A very familiar voice said softly. And then she closed her eyes and fell backwards, completely unconscious.

_A/N: Like the ending? I rather like it myself. Anyways, say… "Sorry dearest" in your review, if you've read my author notes. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! _


	6. Chapter 6: Preparation

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy, much to my despair.

_A/N: Well, we're back! I must say…my reviewers have dwindled! No one reviewed the last chapter…Please tell me it's not boring! I thought people liked it (sad face). Don't make me say that I have to get a certain number of reviews before the next chapter (Evil smile). You have been warned. Haha. Just kidding. Alright, well, I know that people like this story and I am thankful that this is a big hit. But __**PLEASE**__ review. Please. It lets me know your thoughts and keeps me in check. Really. I promise not to abandon this story. Pinky pinky toe promise (chuckle). But please don't abandon it either. Alright, enough of that rant. Let's talk about the chapter. Well, half of this chapter was written a long while back. The other half was written very recently (it actually marks the start of my most recent writing). However, back before I posted this, my ideas were different. This story was going to be just another run of the mill Hollow Kingdom fic. Therefore, before I posted it, a lot of revision had to be done. Okay, well, do enjoy and review if you please!_

Imogen awoke, rubbing her eyes groggily. Someone was carrying her through dark woods. The moon shown down intensely.

"Awake my dear?" asked the purring voice of Marak. She felt her warm breath on her face and winced. "How are you this evening?"

Imogen looked behind him. Several goblins clomped behind him. For a moment she panicked. "Why!?" She screamed. "Why me! What did I ever do to you?" Tears of anguish ran down her cheeks. All she could think of was Ella's tiny face.

Marak looked straight forward, as if she had not just screeched to the whole wood. "You're thinking about her again aren't you?"

Imogen hung her head. "Yes…"

"I know what you want to ask. It may not be possible." He sighed.

"That's so cruel!" Imogen cried, realizing he spoke of her request to visit Ella.

"Imogen…the world is cruel." He sounded almost sad…remorseful and she felt sorry for him.

Again, tears of sadness poured from her eyes. It was all so horrible.

"Sh…Quiet now." He put his un-furry hand up to her face and wiped away her tears.

"Why should I?" She asked weakly.

"Because I'm not going to hurt you."

She was silent, watching his face. "Why would you do that?"

"Imogen, I love you. Why would I let you get hurt?"

She crossed her arms. "There are a lot of reasons." She mumbled.

He smiled. "You are feisty aren't you?" They stopped for a moment and then he set her down, keeping a firm grip on her arm, in case she should try and make a run for it. "Are you tired?" He asked.

She nodded, still very upset.

"That's what I thought." He held her face in his hands and instantly she fell into a magic-induced sleep.

She awoke in a dark room and a comfortable bed. Instantly, she panicked. Her mind was screaming. She felt trapped and worried. Where was she? Would she ever see light again? Every fiber of her being cried out.

"Well for goodness sakes!" Came a voice from the corner. "Quiet down won't you? I can barely think!"

A candle was lit and it revealed a face like a pig mixed with a frog. The skin was green and slimy and the eyes were as large as any amphibian but her nose was prominently hog. It seemed obviously female. It wore a blousy white shirt and a scarlet skirt. Upon its head was a bonnet. "By goodness almost-King's Wife! Will you calm down?" The goblin woman stood up and walked over to the bed.

Imogen was crossed with puzzlement and fear. Why could this woman hear her scream when she wasn't really screaming? She pulled to the farthest reaches of the bed, terrified of the woman.

"Now, now, dear." She reached out with a green, fat hand. "Calm down. You are just fine." She croaked.

"W-w-w-w-w-w-ho are you?" She managed, the repulsion clear in her voice.

"I'm Marta." She smiled, revealing a no-toothed smile. "I'm the seamstress and potion lady. I'm almost three-hundred and three and I can read minds." She seemed very glad of this.

As Marta petted her hand, Imogen felt calmer. "That's it deary. Just relax."

"And where am I Marta?"

"The king's bedroom." She winked. "You should be excited! The ceremony will be very soon! You'll be a married woman before the end of the night…" Strangely, she burst into tears.

Imogen sat there, paralyzed, until finally she managed to ask. "Marta? What seems to be the problem?"

"Oh no problem!" She burst. "I'm just so happy for you! I mean, my little Imogen, married!"

Imogen's eyes widened. She was about to ask what she meant when the king himself opened the doors and strode in. His fur was combed nicely and a smile was upon his lips. "Hello Imogen."

"Marak…" She growled.

"Someone's cranky this morning." He mused, sitting down on the bed. "Pre-wedding jitters?"

She turned away, not looking at him. In an instant she turned and slapped him.

He sighed quietly, trying to process the outburst. A frown formed on his face. There was a moment of silence before he lay down on the bed and feigned a pout. "Aw…It was just a joke!" He complained.

Imogen couldn't help it. "I…I'm sorry." She said finally, crossing her arms and not looking at him.

"But you don't mean it."

Her face softened. "I'm sorry." She told him, the truth in her eyes.

There was a silence. And then Marak said something so unnatural, something that Imogen would have never expected to come from his mouth. "Thank you. You've been so much more cooperative than the other brides I've heard of. More than my mother at least."

She turned to look at him. "You didn't want to hurt me did you?" He asked, sounding very sincere. She could do nothing but stare.

Silence again. "Imogen…I don't want to be savage like my ancestors. I must be honest that I'm quite taken with you. Please…" He whispered. "Please just don't hate me. The ceremony will bother you but I beg that you trust me."

"Alright…" She felt like she couldn't breathe. He seemed so genuine.

"Thank you darling." He stood up. "Now, let the preparations begin!" He clapped his hands together and several female goblin servants tottered in.

"Good luck!" He whispered, kissing Imogen's cheek. He winked and then turned to leave.

After the embarrassing acts of being undressed and washed thoroughly, Imogen stopped caring. She stood in front of a full length mirror and let the goblin women fight about what she would wear. Her choices were few: One nice, but too gaudy red dress, a slim golden one that was too form fitting, a puffy green one that would have made her feel fat or the glittering midnight blue one with long sleeves; she was by far rooting for the last.

The goblins however, were all fighting for a different one and didn't bother asking her which one she liked best. "The golden one will be perfect!" Said one that had a blue, sickly color to her skin. "Just slim enough to show off her figure!" This goblin obviously had no figure to speak of.

"But the green one is the best!" Proclaimed another.

"She'd get lost in that monster!"

"Indeed, the red is perfect."

"Nah, too many glitters!"

It went on for a while until Marta silenced them. "I'm almost for the rest, but shan't we ask the almost-King's Wife?"

"Sure," Said the first goblin. "But we already know she'd like the golden one best. Isn't that right dear?"

"No, she wants to actually make a good impression. That's why she wants the red one."

"Green matches her eyes!"

"Actually, I want to wear the blue dress." Imogen said, trying to sound confident.

There was silence as each of the women stared at her.

"Of course she can talk!" Marta told them, answering some unheard question.

"But the King's Wife is supposed to be silenced!" One whispered. "It's according to custom."

"She has been pardoned from that. The king said that she had been good enough not to scream or struggle, so therefore he didn't place the spell on her." Marta explained.

Imogen was lost. She had no possible idea what they were talking about. Marta turned, answering her thoughts. "The almost-King's Wife is supposed to be given a spell that makes them unable to speak while the ceremony takes place. Most, though excluding you, have been very uncooperative and very startled and would disrupt the wedding by trying to scream or run away. So, you must be extra quiet." She whispered the last part.

"Well, she'll be quiet. But, she obviously wants to wear the green dress. Otherwise, she may not be so silent." The room plunged into argument again.

Imogen waited for a moment and then went over to the mirror on which the dresses were hanging from hooks and snatched up the blue dress; the goblin women did not seem to notice.

She took it out of its hanger and slipped into it. Instantly there was quiet as Imogen put her arms through the straps and slid on the long, elf-like sleeves. Thankfully, Marta skittered over and laced up the back. The goblin women, not prone to standing still, jumped into action and helped out.

When they finally finished picking at her, Imogen got a chance to look at herself. By far, she felt beautiful. Her hair had been curled and was shiny thanks to the goblin shampoo. Her eyelids were lined with blue eye shadow.

"Well then almost-King's Wife you're _almost_-ready." The other goblins stared at Marta; they obviously thought that their job was done. Unperturbed, Marta walked over to her basket which she had brought in with her. She reached in and took out a wreath of white flowers with a ribbon of the same color attached in the back. She placed her hand on them, murmured something and instantly the flowers and ribbon turned blue.

Marta turned back to them and strode over, placing the wreath on Imogen's head. "Now, you are ready."

Then Marta opened the door and two soldiers dressed in gold marched in. They walked over to her and placed golden shackles on her hands and feet. When they ordered her to move, she found that she could not, no matter how hard she willed her feet to move.

"What's wrong with me?!"

Marta was clam. "Its just procedure. Don't worry. It's to make sure that you don't make a run away." Her toady-grin was not very comforting. "Just to make sure you keep still."

"What's he going to do?!"

"Oh, I'm not exactly aloud to tell you. But trust me, you should be thankful almost-King's Wife." She told her as they walked out into the golden hallway.

Marta twined her arm into Imogen's and said. "Let's go dearie."

Imogen let herself be led down the hallway, numb to everything. She couldn't even calculate what was happening. It felt so surreal. She had no thoughts other than the one screaming in her head: _I'm getting married. I'm getting married. I'm getting married…_

She was escorted through several hallways that couldn't have been any longer; they seemed to go on forever and ever.

Until finally they stopped before two towering golden doors. "Good luck almost-King's Wife!" Marta said as they pushed her towards the doors.

"Thanks…" She whispered.

_A/N: Well, what did you think? One thing I want to make clear is just that Imogen needed to panic a bit, but this does not change the fact that she is the most cooperative King's Wife to date. She just had a bit of a break down and who wouldn't right? Anyways, if you've read my author notes, please say… "Marta is addicted to the word 'Almost'." Thehe. I love that goblin woman. She makes me laugh. OH and kudos to anyone who can guess the uber obvious Cinderella inspired part in the story. Haha. Thanks for reading! See you next chapter!_


	7. Chapter 7: Tests

Disclaimer: I do not own, in any shape or form the Hollow Kingdom Trilogy, I'm merely a fan. However, this story and characters are my own creations so please don't use them without permission.

_A/N: I'm back! I'm really excited about this chapter. I love it. Um, a few quick things. The first is that these tests are mostly of my own creation, so I know they're not perfect. I assume they might change a bit from the long years. Second is that I have a new candidate for Marak to add to my actor list. I can't say that he's better than the other two, but just as good. He is John-Rhys Meyers. I think he would do a good job, as would Trent Ford or Paul Bettany. Emily Browning or Alexis Bledel could do well as Imogen as well. So, the choice is yours as to how you want to imagine them. Those are just suggestions. Also, remember to always check the cast list... It'll be changing now and then. The last thing, would anyone be interested in making a trailer for this and putting it on YouTube? Or maybe do some drawings and put them on Deviaintart? __Please let me know if you are. Do not start yet, considering you don't even know the villain yet. But please tell me if you're interested so I can give you a few ideas. __Alright, well, enjoy! _

Imogen took a breath and walked into the auditorium. She almost fainted when she saw that thousands of goblins were staring at her. She probably would have fallen right then and there had not two things prevented her. The first was that her legs continued to walk, whether she wanted them to or not. The second, that Marak, who wore a very royal suit, locked her gaze. He stepped toward her and welcomed her into his arms. Willingly, she hugged him.

He pressed his lips to her head and whispered. "I love you Imogen, remember that. I hope, in time, you will learn to love me too." He paused. "I am so very sorry for what is about to come but remember that you will not be harmed. Remember to keep quiet." He let go of her and she did the same to him.

He turned to the audience and raised his arms. "Ladies and Gentleman, I present to you, the next King's Wife, Lady Imogen Fairesilver of Hallow Hill." The crowd cheered loudly.

Then he held up his hands to signal silence. He brought over a golden pitcher and sat it down. The crowd waited with bated breath as he dipped his fingers in an oily like substance and wrote something with it on her forehead. She felt it burn but kept silent. The crowd went into hysterics again.

After that, he stood and took her chin in his hands. She stood faithfully. Marak turned his back and took a wand from seemingly nowhere; it appeared like sand and formed quickly.

He pointed it at her and said something that she didn't understand. Instantly, a golden figure slid out of the wand tip and began to slither, in mid-air mind you, towards the soon-to-be King's Wife. She wanted to scream but forced herself not to. Instead she stayed frozen in place, watching it draw near.

As soon as it came close enough, it reared, as if around to strike. She closed her eyes, wincing-but the pain didn't come. Instead, her neck felt rather tingly. She looked down and saw a glittering golden snake tattoo around her neck. She met Marak's eyes, trying to understand what it was for. He smiled comfortingly; her eyes, she figured, must have been filled with worry.

As the crowd screamed with excitement, Marak strode over. He lifted her wrists and placed his own on hers. A nearby solider came over and shackled their wrists together. And then a priestly looking goblin appeared from behind a curtain strode over. He spoke a few words in the goblin language and the handcuffs seemed to seep into their skin, though Imogen couldn't feel it. Momentarily, they became golden engravings.

Next, he laid her down on a bed of sand. She stayed there, her eyes wide, as the sand began to lift up and swirl around her in a fine tornado. She shut her eyes tightly and bit her lip. The crowd "ohhhhhed" and "ahhhed" as they seemed to see something Imogen would have, had her eyes been open.

When the curiosity became too much, she opened her eyes. She saw above her, the image (made out of sand) of a snake and lion fighting. The lion was stronger and seemed to be protecting something but the snake was faster. He bit both the lion's front paws, seemingly weakening him. But just as the lion was about to be defeated, something else entered the scene.

A swan.

It was beautiful and strong, graceful and elegant. It stood between the snake and the lion. The snake slinked back slightly, either sizing up the new enemy or afraid. The swan raised its head and bellowed, though it could not be heard.

And then it was over. Marak took her hand and stood her up. He pulled her close and whispered in her ear. "Only two more to go. Great job."

Again, he sat her down. He sat across from her and took her face in his hands. She closed her eyes and waited. Suddenly, she felt exposed and naked. She realized that she was not physically, but mentally- Marak was going through her memories. She wanted to push back and did slightly. The pain was immense.

But Marak, whose eyes had clouded over, said something to her in mind-speak. _Only a little longer. You've done so well. _

_Please! _She cried. _It hurts! There are things I don't want you to see!_

He was silent for a moment. _Imogen, this is the test of Trust. You __must __trust me. Just trust me. _He pleaded.

She let herself go and sat back in his comforting grip, letting her head loll slightly. It hurt yes, but when she did not focus or fight back, the pain lessened.

Finally, the test was finish. _The last test…_She thought, anxiously. She couldn't wait for it to be over.

Marak stood and took something from one of the soldiers. It was a sheathed sword. Her body tensed and she realized the truth. _H-he's going to… kill me! _Her heart beat like a drum and she gritted her teeth.

A look of sadness came over Marak's eyes. He seemed to be saying "I'm so sorry about this." Then he motioned for the guards to hold her still.

He advanced on her and took the sword from its hilt. Imogen thought of all the good times she had had. She thought of her mother and her father, of Ella and Paul. She thought of Margaret and Voila and all those in her life. And suddenly, her life before had not seemed too bad. She felt foolish wanting an adventure and being discontent. She might have even married Paul and been alright…

The blade came closer and closer, its carrier grim-faced. She winced, wanting to cry out but refused to do so. The soldiers took one of her wrists and held it up.

And then it was at her throat. She closed her eyes and prayed with all her might that she would live or wake up. She waited and waited for the pain to come.

Finally it did, but it was not as she would've expected. To start, it was not as lasting as she would've thought, merely quick, it was over before she knew it. Secondly, it was not where she thought it would be. She expected it to pierce her chest but instead it ran along her right wrist. Lastly, the pain was not as bad as she expected.

She opened her eyes to see a slice down her forearm. It broke in a few places but resumed together on a whole. Marak bent down and smiled. He flicked a wrist over her arm and the wound began to heal, leaving only a scar.

Then he stood her up and smiled. "My good people, your queen has passed every test with flying colors! She is a true and loyal queen!" The goblins cheered.

"She is by far, the most obedient of all queens so far. She has taken each of these tests without the Silencing spell." The crowd gasped and roared again, clearly adoring.

"Yes, indeed. She is a good queen. I think she will revolutionize the title, don't you?" The audience agreed loudly. "Do you approve of this new queen?" Again, happy cheers. Marak smiled. "Good, now, go on to your celebrations and rejoice! A new queen has come!"

He walked her off the stage, as the audience began to leave. They burst through the doors and Imogen panted loudly, trying to slow her heart down.

"It's alright, it's alright!" Marak insisted, holding her. He stopped walking and waited for her to catch her breath. "I'm sorry about that last one, I'm sure it must have been awful." She nodded, still trying to calm herself.

"Well, it's over now. There nothing more to fear." He took her face in one hand. Her breathing slowed considerably. "Can you walk?" She nodded but he helped her up and kept a loose arm around her waist should she faint.

"What were all those tests about?" She asked, still a little nervous; her legs were shaking badly.

"Well, the first was the door spell. It does not allow you to leave unless I have given you the say so."

"No!" Imogen cried out. "But, I wanted to see Ella!"

Marak sighed. "I know. I'll do everything I can. Besides, I'll permit you outside now and then." At her curious look, he elaborated. "Elves need the moon or they will die. I would not ever want you to die." A look of sadness danced over his eyes.

They continued down the hall. "The second is the Snake Charm. It keeps you safe from any harm that may befall you, whether it is harm by you or harm by someone else."

"The third was the Shackle spell. It is a vow of love and devotion and, should one of us be unfaithful, we would die immediately."

Imogen was appalled. "Marak, I won't be unfaithful!"

"I didn't say you would." He grinned. "I won't either. It's just for precaution."

"The forth…well…the forth was rather confusing. I think it is a foretelling. If not, it's a recounting of a tale that applies to us. But what yet, I'm not sure."

"The fifth was the hardest for me and for you." He took her wrist gently in his furry left hand. "This one foretells how our marriage will be." He studied it and a smile spread over his face. "Well, all in all, a good marriage." He continued walking. "Actually, a wonderful one."

"What do you mean?" She raised an eyebrow.

He ran his finger down the scar, making Imogen shiver slightly at the pure lightness of the touch. "See this?" He pointed to a long part of the scar. "This is basically smooth, it deviates a bit, which means that there will be a few minor problems, but it will be good and happy."

And then he motioned to a small break. "Something will happen here. Not sure what yet, but something."

She nodded, listening intently. "What about the rest?"

"Well…" He rubbed his chin. "From there, things get very rough. There are a couple more breaks but then the path is straight again." He shrugged.

Imogen's head was full of worries. "What does it mean?!"

Marak smiled comfortingly. "Worry not my love. These problems could be big or small. It could be anything from, I leave the country for a year or we have a tiff or two." She didn't look convinced. "Now, now Imogen. This isn't meant to worry you! It's just to let you expect some problems now then. Its nothing we can't handle."

"Alright…" She said quietly.

"Honest, it's really the best foretelling I've seen. All in all, it's pretty good." He pulled her tighter to his chest. "Don't worry. It'll be just fine. I'll always be here with you, beside you. We'll get through it together."

She laid her head against his toned chest and sighed. "Marak…?"

"Yes my love?"

"I think I'm in love with you."

He laughed. "That's what's so different about you!"

She crossed her arms, hurt. "Don't make fun of me for it."

He stopped walking and turned to face her. "Imogen, I love you. There's no more than that. You just make me laugh sometimes." He took her in his arms again and continued walking.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, you're just not like other brides. I'll tell you later though." He stopped at the bedroom door and opened it.

Imogen walked in, realizing how sleepy she was. She yawned. "Tired?" He asked. She nodded. "Ah, alright." Walking over to the large closet, he pulled out a pair of pajamas. "Put these on." He instructed.

She went into a separate room and did so. And then she walked over to the bed and snuggled in, already half as sleep. Marak hopped on the bed and smiled. He rubbed her smooth arm. "You're so tense…relax." He insisted, his musical voice slightly hypnotizing.

"Are the tests over?" She asked, her voice muffled by the bedcovers.

"The tests are over, I promise."

Instantly, she relaxed. "Good, that's it." He insisted, kissing her shoulder.

Then he stood. "Great job out there." She thought that he was going to sleep also, but he made no move to do so. "I'm so proud of you."

He made for the door, but she stopped him. "Where are you going?" She asked, sounding confused and slightly hurt that she would not sleep with his arms around her on their wedding night.

"Well, the celebration is tomorrow and I need to help get things ready." Seeing her expression he went over to her. She sat up and he took her into his arms and kissed her. When the kiss was broken he hugged her fiercely. "I told you, the tests are over. You're tired and you need to rest."

She yawned and nestled back into the bed. The last thing she heard was Marak's gentle voice saying "Goodnight my blossom." And then she dropped off to sleep.

A/N: I like that ending lots. Well, the chapter after this is a bit slower, but nothing boring. But it really picks up after that so, enjoy the peace. Haha. Say, "August Rush" in your review! I love that movie! Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	8. Chapter 8: The King's Wife Celebration

Disclaimer: Out of all the things I own, Hollow Kingdom is not one of them.

_A/N: I'm back! Sorry it's been a couple more days than I planed. I just got a few busy days and I was thinking about other things and before I knew it, time had slipped away from me. Well, I must apologize about a few things that have been brought to my attention. The first is that I totally deviated from the original King's Wife ceremony. This is due to the fact that I don't own any of the books, so therefore I couldn't remember. I just made it all up and thought it might suffice. Secondly, I had no clue that the Silencing Spell dealt with magic also. In my mind I thought it was so that the wife would not distract anyone. So therefore, she didn't have to take it because she would not do any harm. This and the fact that Imogen didn't freak out when being kidnapped were intentional and part of the plot. Lastly, in case anyone didn't understand, Marak has a pattern, like a swirl, of fur that curls all up and down his arm. Now that we've got that cleared up, we can get to this chapter. This one's a bit of fluff but guess what? Next chapter the villain will be announced! Enjoy!_

Imogen awoke to nudging. She moaned and put the pillow over her head. "Darling?" Marak's velvet voice whispered. "Darling, its time to wake up."

She groaned again. "I need to sleep!" She insisted.

He took the pillow away gently. She opened one eye. His face was close to her own. "Will this help?" He leaned down and kissed her sweetly.

She smiled. "Yes, that will do."

He grinned and jumped off the bed, looking like a child. "I can't wait for today! It'll be great!"

"What's today?"

"Today is the first of the three-day celebration for the King's Wife." He hopped up and down. "It's going to be great."

"Three-day?" Imogen's eyes grew wide.

Marak shrugged. "The first day or so will be fun. Just put on a smile and be yourself. Trust me, they'll love you." He winked and walked into the huge, walk-in closet. "But what should I wear?"

Imogen slid out of bed and went in after him. "Oh, anything I guess."

He smiled. "So, you would like me to go in my jammies?" He motioned to the loose, pajama pants and robe that he wore.

"Well, maybe something a little more refined." She joked.

"Like….this?" He held up a golden suit with ruffles.

"Too shiny. And too ruffly." She scrunched up her nose as if she had smelled something bad.

He shrugged and put it back on the rack. "What about…" He went farther down the row. "This!" He held out a dark, formal suit.

"No, you'll look like you're going to a funeral."

He crossed his arms and an annoyed look drifted over his face. "Fine then. You pick it."

"Alright." She sighed in preparation, rubbing her hands together, and looked at the options. "What color do you want to wear?"

"Maybe red? Or how about gold? Or both!"

"What is it with you and gold?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. It's tradition." He joked. "Besides…it matches my eyes." He batted his eyelashes, holding back a laugh.

She rolled her eyes and started rummaging through the hundreds of clothes. Finally, she found the perfect thing. "How's this?" She held up a gold and white medieval outfit with cloak. Both had very intricate designs woven into them.

Nodding, he said. "That'll do. 'Cept I'm rolling the sleeves up."

She surveyed him. "It might be a little difficult." Indeed, since Marak's right arm had fur running up it, rolling the sleeves up could be a challenge.

Then she went to pick out her own outfit. She decided on a billowing white one with pearls intertwined in it and a laced-up back.

When both were dressed and prepared, Marak held out his arm and then stepped out. "So, prepared for the first day?"

She laughed. "I didn't think this counted."

"Well, it _is _your first day being a King's Wife. How do you like it so far?"

"It's rather nice actually." She smiled happily, but the thought of poor Ella was still looming nearby.

Marak picked up on this. "Ella will be fine. I actually wanted to keep this a surprise, but since I will be letting you outside now and then… if Ella wants to tag along…"

"Oh Marak! Will you really?"

"Anything for you." He grinned.

She hugged him tightly and kissed him on the cheek. "You're wonderful!"

He blushed slightly. "You're welcome?"

They reached another set of doors and he breathed in. "Alright, this is it. Ready?"

She nodded slowly, not sure what to expect.

Behind the doors, Imogen could hear horns being blown and a loud voice announcing "King Marak Wolvenfang and the new King's Wife, Imogen Fairesilver!" The doors opened and Imogen stepped out to see hundreds of screaming and shouting goblins, all ecstatic for the celebrations.

"My dear people…It is my pleasure to announce Imogen to you. She is beautiful, clever, and wonderful and I could not have found a better wife." More cheers.

And then the crowd parted as Marak slid an arm around Imogen's waist and led her down the stone steps towards a snow white carriage that lay just beyond the ends of the crowd.

Marak descended the stairs in a regal manner. Imogen, with shaky legs, did as well but nervousness had come upon her so quickly that it had taken her a bit by surprise.

Slowing a bit, Marak whispered. "Something wrong my love?"

"They're all watching me Marak! I feel as though they're just waiting for me to slip." She told him, her whisper quick and fierce.

A small, sweet smile played on his lips. "No worries. They love you. Come." He supported her a bit more and together they began to walk down the red-carpeted isle.

As they went, goblins reached out and called things. One goblin woman stuck a feathered hand out and Imogen managed to shake it awkwardly, since Marak was still going a quick pace towards the carriage. "Good luck King's Wife!" The woman called, revealing a cat-like grin.

For out of nowhere, Marta appeared, grinning happily. "You did it King's Wife! Just wait till you begin your almost-duties!"

Imogen smiled and nodded. Then she turned to Marak. "What is it with her and the word 'almost'?"

Marak grinned, shrugging. "She just likes to look ahead." A chuckle escaped his lips. "Though, she's been known to be a little…loopy." He crossed his eyes.

Imogen laughed, slapping him gently on the arm. "Oh, Marak. Be nice."

He finished laughing and then nodded. "Alright. I'll try." A small sly smile spread over his face. "Will you give me a kiss if I do?"

Imogen was caught slightly off guard but giggled. "A thousand."

Marak's eyes widened with delight. "Yes!" He took her hand and helped her onto the grand carriage.

"So, where to from here?" She asked as the horses began to clop down the cobblestone street.

"Well, we just have a little tour of the town and then get off to the grand ballroom." He put his arm around her.

"So, what are you, a tour guide?"

"Yes ma'am." He laughed. "Let me direct your attention to the Hollow Lake." He pointed above her.

She was in complete awe. Above her was the lake that she loved so much, suspended in the dark layer of ground above her. "How…" She trailed off.

Marak snickered and shrugged his shoulders. "No clue. It's been there since…I don't know when."

"Wow." Imogen said, sitting back in her seat. "Things are so gloomy Marak. We need to get some light in here."

The goblin king nodded. "Sure. I'll see what I can do.'

"Gee, you can bend a lot can't you?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Well, I try."

They spent the rest of the morning, assuming it _was _morning, riding around town and seeing the sights. Finally, they arrived at the grand ballroom, a white building with Greek columns and wide white doors.

Marak scampered nimbly out first, his cape floating gracefully behind him. Then he offered his hand to his wife and she took it. He had offered his furry left hand, but Imogen was beginning to love that hand. She rubbed the fur gently, liking the feel beneath her fingers.

He led her up the steps and opened the door for her. "So, why doesn't the palace have a ballroom?" She asked.

"Good question." He glanced at the paintings all hung on the wall, seemingly quite used to them while it took Imogen a moment to look at each. "The palace does, actually, have a ballroom. It's much better than this one. But this is much more available to the public for parties and such."

"When do I get to see the other one?"

"Tonight. We'll get to dance and spend more time together tonight but this is just a bit of meet and greet." They continued down the long hall to a pair of mahogany doors. A pair of guards swung them open and Imogen suddenly felt like a movie star.

Waiting in the ballroom were hundreds of well-wishing, decked out goblins. They crowded around the door, some were cheering, others were trying to reach the royal pair and some tried to shout out messages.

Thankfully, a strip of carpet was laid open for them. Marak was smiling and waving, quite used to being treated like this. Imogen was fairing worse. She felt claustrophobic and deaf.

"Relax." Marak instructed, whispering in her ear. "Remember, they adore you."

"Marak! We love youuuuuu!!" Cried several girls in the audience.

Imogen's mouth hung open. "Does that happen often?"

Marak grinned. "Yes, it does. Get used to it. You're married to the handsomest man in goblin city." Upon seeing her skeptical look, he elaborated. "To them, I mean. Not necessarily by your standards."

"No!" She blushed, embarrassed. "I didn't mean that I just…"

He chortled. "No worries my love. I understand. I was just joking with you."

She poked him hard. "Ow!" He rubbed his arm. "What was that for?"

"For making fun of me."

"I'm sorry beautiful." He jutted out his bottom lip, making his dazzling blue eyes wide.

She blushed and kissed him softly on the lips. "What was that for?"

"For calling me beautiful."

A/N: Did you like it? Let me know! Say "Jareth has pointy teeth" in your review if you've read my author notes. I just watched Labyrinth today and really liked it, if you're wondering. Haha. Well, thank you for reading and reviewing! See you next chapter!


	9. Chapter 9: Trouble Arises

Disclaimer: As much as I would love to, I don't own The Hollow Kingdom trilogy. Neither do I own Harry Potter, which the quote below is from.

_A/N: Hello everyone! I'm sorry it's been a while! It feels like a while, but maybe it wasn't. Anyways, expect updates anywhere from three days to a week. Since I've been rather busy lately, and I just caught a cold this week, it took a little longer. But no bother. I'm back anyways. Thanks for sticking with me. Well, I don't think I have much news. The only thing I should add that I'm planning on putting quotes up before each chapter. I hope you guys enjoy that. I rather think it adds a nice, more professional look to it. One thing I should like to add is that I apologize for the last chapter. I was told it was too fluffy and that Marak was too childish. I apologize, but that is one side of Marak. I tried to show that a little bit later in this chapter and mostly in the next so, yeah…Other than that I got some complaints about the movie sentence. I apologize about that as well. I didn't mean to be out of time period, I just wanted people to understand how she felt. Also, and most importantly, there was a question about how early Imogen fell for Marak. Since she's not a normal King's Wife, she fell in love with him during the afternoon tea chapter. She was struck by his honesty with her and his actual care for her. She did panic there when he kidnapped her but, that was just for a while. Well, enough ramble. Here's chapter nine!_

_It's changing out there. Just like last time.- _Hagrid, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

- - -

The day went fast, leaving Imogen in a whirlwind of confusion. She couldn't even concentrate well. So many questions had been asked, so many goblins had wanted shake her hand. The noise had been so deafening that when she was helped into carriage again, she was instantly pulled out of her daze. "It's…quiet."

Marak grinned. "Amazing, isn't it?"

She gazed up at the ground ceiling above her. "What time is it? I can't tell."

"It's about seven in the evening."

"Seven?!"

He chuckled. "Yes. Is that a problem?"

"Yes. I'm actually starving." She raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms.

"Is that so?" He put a mock look on his face, feigning thoughtfulness.

"Oh shut it." She pushed him jokingly.

He chuckled. "Well, now that you've asked nicely…" He scowled, pretending to be angry.

"Please?" She stuck out her bottom lip and made her eyes as wide as possible.

He hissed and turned away. "NO! Not the kitty eyes! Agh! I'm defenseless against them!" He wilted in his seat.

"Say yes or I'll do it more."

He sat up. "Geez, you're a hard mistress."

She chuckled. "I try."

"So, what are you up for?" He asked causally.

Her eyes narrowed. "You're planning something."

"Elf spit! How'd you guess?"

"I can see it in your eyes." She said, matter-of-factly.

"Smarty." He snickered.

"You're getting off the subject. What do you have planned?" She tapped her foot, impatient.

"Just a delicious meal together and then we'll be off for the grand ball."

Imogen sighed; she'd already forgotten that there was another ball to attend. She had really been looking forward to peace and quiet. "Another ball?"

"Yeah. It's the fun one, remember?" He raised his eyebrows. "Do you have a poor memory?"

She sighed. "I don't think I can handle another."

"Will this make it better?" He kissed her sweetly, again.

Once it was over, she cried "Stop doing that!"

"What?"

"Stop kissing me so well. It's too hard to resist."

He laughed happily. "Good. My evil plan is in affect." He rubbed his hands together and put on a mischievous face.

She narrowed her eyes. "Did you just…giggle?"

Marak raised his eyebrows. "No, never. We Goblin Kings laugh, chuckle, maybe even chortle…but never giggle."

Imogen smirked. "Not in touch enough with your sensitive side?"

He frowned, not wanting to sound too tough (He knew many earth women loved sensitive men). "Well, I wouldn't say that…"

She laughed. "Uh-huh. Sure you wouldn't."

Marak rolled his eyes. The carriage stopped behind the palace. "I didn't know there was a door here…" Imogen said, inspecting it.

"Yep. It's for my own personal use."

Marak stepped out, offering his hand to her as she stepped gingerly out. "In other words, just so you don't have to use the front."

"Yeah, that has a lot to do with it."

"So, this is a private dinner, huh?" He placed his hand on her back.

"I figured its better that way. We won't be alone for much of the evening, so I figure it's the best I can do."

Imogen nodded. "Good idea. The quiet before the storm."

Marak burst out laughing. "What?" She demanded.

"I just love the way you look at things." He rubbed the back of his neck, his smile fading. "I'm just so used to life being this way that…I guess I forget quite quickly how life can be normally."

She raised an eyebrow. "Honestly, I don't think you could really be 'normal.'"

"Well, normal for a goblin at least."

She shrugged. "You're probably right."

After a delicious candle-lit dinner and a quick change into a new pair of clothes, Imogen was led into the private chambers where she and Marak waited for their guests to arrive. Every now and then, Imogen would peek behind the large curtain to see who had arrived. After the first peak at the beautiful, large ballroom, she couldn't stop.

"Darling? Why don't you come sit down?" Marak was reclining in his chair, watching her with great confusion.

She stopped, leaving her hand on the crease of the curtain. "Why?"

"Well…it's just a ballroom."

"But, I've never really seen one before. I mean, in our world ballrooms are kind of a thing of the past. I like the idea of them." She ran her gloved hand up and down the curtain, the velvet beneath the silk on her fingers.

He smiled. "I think you were born in the wrong time dear. Now come and sit for a moment. You can look a bit later."

She did so, sitting down delicately. "So, who all is going to be at this party?"

"Oh, just some goblin barons and baronesses, some advisers and several of the elven tribes that we have remained in peace with."

"Elves? You didn't tell me there are elves!" She was completely ecstatic; never had she imagined that a world like this could be so real. She stood, excited.

Marak was not amused. "Imogen…" He began. "The elves here are much different from the ones in the stories you've heard."

"What do you mean?" Her heart sunk considerably.

"Sit down." He instructed. "It's a long story."

She sat down again, but less primly this time, more with a defeated manner. Marak took a breath and began. "Imogen…if you could point out one common belief that you, in however short a time, have seen us, goblins, believe firmly in…what would it be?"

She rubbed her chin. "Well…I'd say…fair treatment?"

He nodded. "That's part of it. As you know, we goblins aren't exactly 'lookers.'" She giggled at his word usage and the funny way he drew quotation marks in the air with his fingers.

He smiled for a moment and then continued. "Although this is a fact, we believe in looking at the heart, instead of the face."

"And the elves don't do that?"

"Well, some do. But most don't. You see, the elves are absolutely stunning. They love their good looks. They marry, live, breathe, sleep beauty and make it their top priority. Some females have even been forced into marriage because their husband wants their beauty, not them."

"That's awful!" She exclaimed.

"It really is." Marak sighed quietly. "But we've managed to remain in a shaky peace with them. For now at least."

There was a knock on the door. "Come in."

"My liege," A goblin servant entered the room, bowing curtly. "Your guests have arrived."

"Thank you, Percy. We'll be out in just a moment."

"As you wish my lord." The servant left, closing the door after him.

Marak stood up. "Well then. Ready?"

Imogen shrugged. "I guess."

"If I've said it once, I've said it a million times, Imogen: relax. Just have some fun tonight."

She stood. "Alright." She breathed in shakily.

He held out his arm and she took it. "Let's go." He smiled as they exited the room.

"And how do you feel about your new position?"

Imogen yawned, hiding it behind her hand. She had been making small talk with goblin women all night long. It was becoming seriously boring. "Well, I don't see it as a position really. I suppose I'm queen now, but I'm a wife first."

"Oh really…how…riveting…" The woman frowned, obviously disappointed in the answer.

Another woman spoke up, her bill clicking as she spoke. "I hear that the royal bedroom is absolutely stunning."

"Oh, it is." She smiled, realizing that she hadn't really inspected it much; she'd been far too sleepy the night before and rushed off in the morning.

Marak turned from his conversation, murmuring something and striding over to her. "Hello ladies, you don't mind if I borrow my wife do you?"

The women all smiled and one said. "No, of course not! Be our guest."

Imogen stood, taking Marak's hand. As soon as they were out of earshot, Imogen breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks. That conversation was going nowhere."

He chuckled, though not his normal, mischievous laugh. "Ah yes, I know it." He sighed quietly, his smile fading into a mere trace of a grin. He led her onto the dance floor which was half-full with dancers. A small symphony was playing in the background.

"Is something bothering you?" She asked as he placed his hand around her waist and took her hand. They began to sway to the music.

"To be honest, yes. But…I'm not sure what."

Her heart fluttered. "Marak…do you think this is the beginning of the bumpy section?" She said, referring to the scar.

"Possibly. Don't worry though, we'll be fine. I promise." He smiled broadly.

They danced for a while, talking about many things. That is until Imogen mentioned elves again. Marak tightened a bit. "Darling, let's not talk about that now."

She frowned. "Why not?"

He sighed, rubbing his forehead "Because-"

I'm sorry to say Marak never finished his sentence. Before I say why, I must explain how the troubled goblin king had been feeling that entire evening. Marak, though a playful, childish sort of fellow, was always thinking ahead and ever since his wife had mentioned the elves, he had begun to think hard on that subject.

As he wondered, a disturbing thought came to him: What if the elves were planning something? What if, ever since Imogen came around, the goblins were blind to this? It was certainly true that many things had been amiss with the elves, before Imogen showed up. The elf king was due to end his reign soon because of some illness or other and two ambitious young elves were planning to take his place. Marak had been anxiously awaiting this event, but had heard no news.

Now, I can finally tell you what happened. A young elf woman appeared in the room with a puff of magic smoke. The doors flung open to show another young elf, this one male. Both were clad in black leather and looked like siblings with their fair faces and black, silky hair. The male was obviously a hunter, complete with a hawk on his shoulder, a bow and an arrow sheath over his shoulder. The female was seemingly more skilled at magic.

They both approached him, the male wary, his eyes darting around the room, while the female was respectful. When they reached him, they bowed low. "Greetings, King Marak of the goblins." The female spoke; she was obviously a better speaker than her brother.

"Well met." Marak said quietly, bowing back to them. The room was completely silent, leaving the guests to stare at the scene before them.

The female seemed as though she was struggling internally with something. After a moment, she spoke. "I bear bad news." She sighed.

Her brother gritted his teeth. "Lila…Don't." He warned. His voice was dark, rough but there was an underlying richness.

The female, Kara, shifted her weight. "Forgive me, for I must rid myself of all respectful notions. This conversation is strictly secret and I would prefer that it not be mentioned." She looked around the room cautiously. "To anyone."

Marak nodded. "Ladies and gentleman, dear friends, do excuse us. I regretfully must end this party. But thank you for coming." Imogen was shocked; Marak's smile was confident and relaxed, though she knew that inside he was unnerved.

The crowd began to leak out, their mouths agape. Marak pretended not to notice. "This way."

_A/N: It's starting to pick up____! In the next chapter, some real plot thickening comes in. So, let me know what you think. Say "The Grimmierie" in your review if you've read my author notes. I just bought that book (Wicked: The Grimmierie; for those of you who don't know.) It makes me want to see that musical so very badly. I've never seen it and I'm already in love with it and the music. Well, thanks for reading and reviewing! _


	10. Chapter 10: Separation

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hollow Kingdom series; neither do I own the Harry Potter series which the quote is from.

_A/N: Happy Almost-Valentine's day as Marta would say! Well, I decided that in honor of the holiday (even if it's not a real holiday) that I would update both my fan fictions and maybe add a new one! So, I don't have much more to say. For now, just enjoy your Valentine's day and enjoy this chapter!_

_There was no point in worrying yet…what would come, would come…and he would have to meet it when he did. _– Harry Potter and the Goblet of fire

- - -

Once seated, the young couple waited anxiously as the female elf sighed. "My lord, it is so kind of you to be tolerant of us, and seating us well. It is a plea-"

Her brother was scowling. "Lila…Don't do this…" He growled.

She turned around to squint her eyes at him. "We have to, Lith. This is what _they_ would want us to do."

He whispered something that was meant to be unheard, but fell short of its goal. "I don't trust _them_…" He motioned his head towards the goblin and his wife.

Marak cleared his throat. "Would you please explain?" Imogen was surprised and beginning to like this new, kingly side to Marak.

Lila turned back to him. "Yes, of course, we'll explain." She took one last shaky breath, trying to vindicate her actions. She folded her hands in her lap and began. "As you know, the elf king's reign is over. His illness was a despair to all of us. But now, the two eligible elves are fighting for the title.

"One, Paris, is a kindly sort of fellow, though he has a bit of a temper sometimes. However…" She looked down. "The other, Semptimus, is dark. His temper far surpasses Paris's. I fear for my race and yours in this time. If Semptimus became king, both of our races would be at his mercy. This could be the end of all we know."

Marak listened intently. "I understand. But why should you care about us?"

"Two reasons. The first is that Semptimus fought Paris and won. He banished Paris and is now…" She pinched the bridge of her nose. "king." Her voice was as quiet as a whisper.

"And the second?"

The twins gazed at each other. Lith spoke first. "Do you remember the time of the Goblin's Wife Kate?"

Marak nodded. "I have read much of that time. It is one that fascinates me."

Lila spoke now. "Then you will remember well that she had a sister, named Emily?"

Marak smiled. "Yes, of course. She married Seylin the elf."

Lila put her hands up to her face, rubbing it for a moment. "We are their descendents. We are torn," her voice was beginning to waver. "between two worlds. I feel as though, if the truth of our heritage would ever come into light that we will be made outcasts and we too, will be banished."

Lith scowled. "She wanted to make peace with you."

"And why didn't you?" Imogen spoke gently.

Lith looked away. Lila spoke instead. "He is promised to a elf who hates goblins. He fears that if she finds out the truth, she will leave him forever."

Lith gritted his teeth. "No, I just don't trust you."

Marak nodded. "I can understand that. But you have no reason to fear us. We are always glad to acquire allies"

Lith snorted. "I'm sure…" He muttered under his breath.

"Lith. Be quiet." She turned around and gave him a condescending look.

"Who made you queen Lila?"

Lila pushed him playfully. "You little flapper girl."

Lith smiled. "Flapper girl?!" For a moment, it was as if everything was normal and they were just a normal brother and normal sister who had not a care in the world. "You gobl-" He stopped mid-sentence, his smile fading. "Sorry…" He gazed up at the king. "I mean no disrespect."

Marak smiled. "That's alright. It's good to see some happiness, even in these dark times." Imogen took his hand, intertwining their fingers; she was beginning to feel a little unnoticed, not to mention frightened.

Lila seemed sad. "Yes…I suppose it would be. But we should get back to business."

"Now, what do you propose we do? Sign a pact?"

Lila nodded. "Either that or…"

"Or?"

"Or," Lith continued. "You could go and sign a treaty with the king."

Marak's eyebrows shot up. "What kind of a treaty?" He asked in mild skepticism.

"It would ensure peace between our two races, no matter what happens."

"But what is the catch?"

Lila locked eyes with Marak. "Exactly. We don't know yet, but I suspect something." Lith looked away instantly. "Lith…? What is it?"

"I just…" He sighed for a moment. "I was only just wondering if his plans for conquest are…larger than we expect."

Lila turned to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well…do you think he might be planning to attack not only the goblins and the dwarves but the…" He looked up at Imogen cautiously. "humans as well?"

There was an unsettling silence that all at once confirmed the very terrible and valid concern.

Imogen's voice, quiet and wavering, cut through the silence. "Marak…?"

"Yes?" His voice was soft too, as if his own voice might invoke the rage of an elf king not far away.

"What do we do?"

Marak sighed, not a sad sigh, just a preparing one. "Well," He smiled bravely. "I suppose I shall go and see this new elf king." He clapped his hands and an anxious servant rushed in.

"My lord?" He asked, his tusks clicking together.

"Prepare my carriage. I must take a few days leave." He ordered.

"Of course." The door shut, but Imogen took no notice.

"You can't leave already!" She pleaded.

"I know darling. I will be back soon, I should hope." He kissed her softly.

"Marak…" Her eyes filled with tears; she wasn't ready for him to leave.

"Only a few days. I promise. You'll be safe here."

"I can't run a whole country on my own!" She cried, clutching him.

"You won't have to." He smiled. "Marta will help you."

"Marta?!"

He chuckled grimly. "Not to worry my love. The celebration will go on for two more days and I'll be back before then. All you have to do is sit here and wait."

She leaned against him, placing her head on his shoulder. "Please don't leave."

"I have to." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. "Goodbye my sweet." He whispered in her ear. And then he was gone along with the elf twins.

Imogen lay there for hours, sobbing. Until finally, Marta stepped in "Something wrong, dear?"

"Marak just left…"

Marta sighed and petted Imogen's head. "Remember dear, the longer the day grows on, the sooner he'll be back." She smiled.

Imogen nodded, letting Marta hug her. "But will he come back at all?"

- - -

_A/N: So did you like it? I certainly hope so! Say "Snape" in your review, if you've read my author notes. Thanks for reading and reviewing! See you next chapter!_


	11. Chapter 11: Prophecy

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hollow Kingdom Series or The Lord of the Rings from which the quote comes.

_A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry it's been a while. I'm officially out of extra chapters, so I'm just trying to write them as fast as possible. Please be patient with me. Alright, to business; I've gotten a lot of complaints lately about the fluffiness of some of the chapters. Understand that those chapters were the peace before the storm. Basically after the little bits in this chapter, everything will be pretty dark. Trust me. So, I know this may seem like a fluffy chapter, but I swear its not. Alright, other than that I want to let you guys know that I have a poll up on my main page. Please vote on that. Please. I want to know want people want to see next from me and I can't do that unless lots of people vote. One last thing: I must apologize for the page breaks. I was alerted that the page breaks I was using didn't show up. I frankly had no idea. I totally am sorry for that and have changed all the page breaks in this chapter. Again, I'm sorry. Now, enjoy this chapter!_

Frodo: _I can't do this._

Sam: _I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened?_

-Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

- - -

Imogen cried the whole night through, sleeping on and off. The pressure of ruling her own country, if only for a few days, was immense. To be honest, she couldn't handle it. The prospect of it all was just too much to fathom.

But, thankfully, Marta was there through it all. She fell asleep to Marta's soft singing and gentle petting. When she awoke the next morning, she was vaguely aware of three people in the room. One was Marta, who hadn't moved since the previous night and there was someone else who Imogen couldn't see. She only knew that they were there, because one of them was talking with Marta.

"How long has she been asleep?" She recognized the voice, but couldn't place it.

Marta sounded a bit uneasy. "For a few hours." She muttered.

Someone shifted. "We're sorry if our presence bothers you." This voice was a new, quieter one.

"Not at all." Marta lied.

"Perhaps we should leave for now." The male voice said.

"No. Stay." Marta insisted weakly. "The goblins will not take kindly to having you around."

Imogen opened her eyes and looked around. She finally saw that in the corner were the twins. "Good morning." Imogen yawned. "What are you two doing here?"

Lila smiled. Imogen could tell that she was more relaxed and less formal. "We can't return for a few days. We told the king that we were off visiting relatives."

"Which…" Lith spoke up. He seemed a bit less fierce. "Isn't really a lie. The goblins are practically our relatives." Imogen couldn't tell if he was happy with this fact, or not. "We told them we would be gone for a couple of days, so we won't have to bother you much longer."

Imogen smiled, trying to look at the bright side. "Well, I'm glad you're here anyway. I…I, uh, don't know how I'll be able to handle life without Marak for a few days. It'll be nice to have some company"

Marta huffed. "What about me?"

"You too, Marta." Imogen said quickly, not wanting to offend the person who had been so kind to her only a few moments before.

Marta sighed. "That's almost-better."

"But good enough for now?"

"Yes…Good enough." Marta nodded her head, still looking slightly indignant.

Imogen sighed. "So…what should we do?" She asked, putting on her hostess mask.

"Oh anything." Lila smiled, trying to be open.

"Marta, do they have a library?" Imogen asked, beginning to forget her troubles; Marak would be back soon and she need not rule for a few days. Everything would be fine. The dark, looming clouds of depression seemed to lift to reveal a new day.

"Do they have a library?! Oh for Kate's sake…"

Imogen's heart sunk. "They don't have one?!..."

"Have one?! Of course they have one! It's the finest in centuries. I would know." She winked.

"Oh good." Imogen smiled. "Can you take us to it?"

"I can try."

"Try?"

"Well, I know my way around almost-well. It's just that goblin city is a very large place and one can sometimes get lost."

The new goblin queen nodded. "That's understandable. So will you take us?"

"I will try." Marta sighed.

X.X.X.

After getting lost three times and Marta getting in an argument with two of the guards about her sense of direction they finally reached the grand library. They stood in front of the two massive doors. Marta placed her hands on her hips and smiled triumphantly. "See? I told you I'd find it."

"Almost." Lith chuckled under his breath.

Marta paid no attention to his little comment. "My sense of direction is just fine. Those guards were just either daft in the head or way out of line."

"Oh yes, that's exactly what it was." Lith smirked.

Lila rolled her eyes and whispered. "Be nice, Lith."

Marta turned on them immediately. "You don't like my directions either, do ye?" She actually looked quite frightening. "What you don't know is that I took the scenic route."

"Oh sure." Lith crossed his arms. "Scenic involves basically touring every single nook of the goblin city _except _the one we're looking for?"

Marta nodded. "Well…yes. In truth, I was just showing Imogen some of the sites." Imogen didn't feel like this was a good time to mention that she'd already seen the sites.

Imogen sighed in preparation. "So…should we go in?"

Marta was a step ahead of her. She threw open the doors loudly and announced. "Here we are!"

Imogen's jaw dropped. It was a reader's heaven. The place was huge; full of books every size, shape, color and then some.

Lith's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Wow."

Lila was barely able to talk. "It's...amazing!" Her smile was a far away one.

Imogen nodded. "Why didn't you tell us it was this wonderful?"

Marta shrugged. "I've been here for long enough that I suppose its magic is lost on me."

Lila laughed. "Well, it's not lost on me." She rushed forward to one of the shelves, grabbing a huge, thick book. "_The History of Goblins_? That sounds interesting."

"Indeed." Marta clasped her hands together, seemingly pretending to be a tour guide. "That is the king's favorite book. No wait….I think he prefers the one about the history of the goblin kings."

Lila rubbed her hands together. "Even better! Where can I find it?"

"Oh, the king keeps it in his potion room."

Lila's jaw dropped once more. "He has a potion room?"

"Of course. What kind of a king would he be if he didn't do magic?"

"Well, I knew he did magic, just not potions."

Lith picked at one of his fingernails. "Potions are good."

Imogen nodded. "Yes, I think we should go see it."

Marta shook her head. "It would take me ages to find. Besides, he always locks it while he's away."

"Oh, I'm sure he wouldn't mind his own wife using it."

Marta looked nervous. "Well, I'm almost-not sure of that."

"Come on Marta. Since you're a potion lady, he must've given you a key."

"Well…" Marta looked down at her feet.

"Please?" Imogen begged.

"Well…alright." Marta's voice sounded defeated and unsure.

Imogen smiled. "Wow. Marak was right. That stuff really does work."

X.X.X.

Marta jiggled the skeleton key in the lock of a large wooden door. "This is it." Marta said. "Now if only I can get this blasted key to…" She trailed off as the door swung open.

Imogen was the first in. She saw that the room wasn't very big. There were shelves of books and racks of potion ingredients. "This," Marta told them, motioning to the books. "Is Marak's personal library. It has everything from history to potion recipes."

"This place is amazing." Imogen cooed.

"Not as good as the library we were just at." Marta scowled. "But no matter."

The elf twins were quiet, trying to be respectful. They kept their hands at their sides, though Imogen could tell that they were as just as interested as she was. "Don't be bashful, go ahead." She prompted.

Lila emitted a squeal. "You know, I've always been interested in goblin history." She skimmed through the shelves, picking out several of the thicker books. "But since I'm an elf I'm not really permitted to do that."

Lith rolled his eyes. "You're such a dwarf."

"What?" Lila shrugged, still preoccupied. "I can't help that it's fascinating!"

"You're so obsessed." Lith leaned back, crossing his arms.

"It's our heritage! I have a right to be obsessed."

"If you say so."

"What's this?" Imogen pulled out a musty, old book titled _"The King's Wife Ceremony through the ages." _She began to flip through it. "This looks interesting."

Marta leaned over her shoulder. "Perhaps you shouldn't…"

"Why? It's harmless isn't it?" She flipped through it randomly. She looked at the page and her eyes bulged.

"Because of that…" Marta rubbed her forehead.

"'The Prophecy and How to Decode it.'" She murmured.

Lila and Lith paused, sensing something big. "What's so important about that?" Lith asked.

"Just the simple fact that Marak said he didn't know what the prophecy meant. Either he lied to me, which I doubt, or this can help me understand the problems that can come in our marriage."

"Are you sure this is safe?" Lila asked, rushing over to sit next to the goblin queen.

Imogen paused, feeling the sadness try to sink back in. "Yes… I'm sure it's fine."

Marta clicked her tongue against her teeth. "I wouldn't be almost-sure."

"Why?" Imogen asked, skimming down the page with her finger.

"Curiosity killed the mouse as the humans say."

"That's the cat." Imogen corrected.

"Hm?"

"Nothing." Imogen covered, trying to concentrate. Finally, she found the section she was looking for. She read it aloud. "'To actually decode the prophecy, one must be cautious: one misinterpretation can change the course of one's destiny.'"

"Skip that section, it's irrelevant." Lith suggested.

"I wouldn't…" Marta warned them.

"What could happen?" Lith raised an eyebrow.

"Never drabble in such things." She warned.

Imogen gasped. "According to t-this…something very terrible is going to happen." She stuttered, grasping the arm of her chair.

Lila took her hand. "What? What is going to happen?"

"Marak is going to die!" She sobbed.

- - -

_A/N: Woah! Cliffhanger! Is this true? Will Marak really die? Find out next update! In your review, if you have read my author notes, say "peaches." Yum...I love peaches. Well then, see you next update!_


	12. Chapter 12: Fate and Plans

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hollow Kingdom, even if I wished to. I also do not own the musical Wicked from which the quote below is taken.

A/N: _Hello everyone! Lucky you, you're getting another update! And so soon too! Well, I do not have too much to say, so I won't keep you from reading for long. The first is that everyone needs to go and vote on my poll, because I want to know what people want to see next from me. So, please do that if you can. Also, I'm going to be posting a OneShot collection of my favorite Harry Potter pairings soon, so if you're interested check around for that, because it'll be up soon. Um, I think that's about it, so enjoy!_

"_Some things I cannot change. But till I try, I'll never know!"_

- Wicked: The musical

- - -

Chapter Twelve:

Fate and Plans

"What?!" Lila's mouth shot open. "That can't be!"

Imogen was in tears. "I shouldn't have let him go!"

Lith sat down, skeptical as always. "But…it says here that you can misinterpret it." He took up the book, tracing the line with his finger. Imogen couldn't be sure, but he seemed to be more serious and as if he actually cared.

"No, it's not possible. There's only one answer that makes sense." She put her head in her hands. "What are we going to do?"

Marta put a hand on her shoulder. "Wait a moment…What did your scar predict?"

"There's just supposed to be a break and then all this nonsense and…ugh!" She moaned, too upset to think of anything else.

"Let's think about this calmly." Lila insisted, her own voice quivering slightly.

"Don't you understand? It's set in stone! We can't change ANYTHING!" She cried, through her hands up in the air.

Lith sat up straight. "Unless we do something."

There was a small silence. "What?" Imogen whispered.

"We've got to do something about this."

Lila stared at him. "Are you insane?"

"I must be."

"What about Elihara?" She was referring to his bride-to-be.

"She'll deal with it."

Lila put her hand on his arm. "This could mean losing everything …"

"It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make." He closed his eyes. "We have to do this."

Imogen smiled sadly. "Thank you, Lith. I know she's important to you."

He looked down, determination in his eyes. "If she can't accept this then… we're not meant to be."

"Again, thank you…but this is a lost cause. It's already-"

"Silence." He instructed. "I mean no disrespect but we cannot accept defeat. We can do this. But in order to do that, you have to believe."

Imogen sat up, rubbing away her tears. "Alright. I'll try."

"Good." The male elf turned to his sister. "Now, we'll have to figure out a way to sneak her into camp."

"Into camp?! That's impossible!"

"Lila, Lila." He grinned. "We both know that's not true."

"If they find out…"

"We'll be banished forever. I know. I'm not as dull as you think." He raised an eyebrow. "Are you up for it?"

Lila shrugged. "I guess so."

"Alright, good." They spent the rest of the afternoon pouring over ideas of how to snake Imogen into the guarded elven camp.

------------

"My liege, the goblin king has arrived to see you." A tall elf informed his new king.

King Septimus smirked. "Good. Send him in."

"My…my lord?"

"Yes, Serius?" The king rubbed his chin, looking in a hand-held mirror with a golden handle. He inspected his long black hair which was slicked back so that his high forehead shown. He was tall and muscular. His mouth seemed to twitch with cruelty. He was handsome to be sure, but terrifying.

"Is this safe?"

The king stood up, looking fierce. "Dare you question me?" He bellowed.

The elf bowed lower. "No, not-t all, my lord." His voice shook with fear.

Semptimus sat down once more. "Good. Leave my presence before I have you beheaded." Even though he sat in a large tent on a wooden throne with a carpet floor, he felt like he was in a large palace of lavish scarlet carpets and he himself sat on a throne of gold. He took pride in this.

The flap of the tent opened and Marak walked in, bowing slightly. "Hello King Septimus." He smiled regally. "I am King Marak Wolvenfang of the goblins."

"It is a pleasure to meet you." The elf king's smile seemed to announce superiority. "What brings you to my humble camp?"

"I have come to ask that you sign a peace treaty." Marak said, trying to be as respectful as possible.

The king's smile vanished. "Peace treaty?" He seemed to detest the very words.

"Yes. To insure maximum cooperation between our two great races."

King Septimus sneered. "Cooperation does not exist, King Marak."

"Ah, but it can."

The king sighed. "You are too prideful King Marak. First you waltz in here with false compliments and then you force me to sign a useless treaty? It makes me want to do the exact opposite, if only to spite you." He said loftily, a hint of danger mixed in his voice.

"No!" Marak murmured.

"You knew it was coming, goblin king. It cannot be stopped by you, or by me. It is time that our races finally learned who is best. And the mortal humans shall soon learn of us because the time has also come for them to beg on bended knees."

"How dare you!" Marak cried out. "This is practically blasphemy!"

"Join me Marak." King Semptimus leaned forward, whispering. "Together we can rule this vast world."

Marak gritted his teeth. "As soon as the conquest ended, you would betray me. Or sooner. I am not as foolish as you take me for."

"So this is war?" Marak was silent. The king chuckled and clapped his hands. Two guards walked in. "Seize him!" Septimus ordered.

Both did so, trying to withhold a struggling Marak. "You will pay for this."

King Septimus let out a throaty laugh and pushed his face close to Marak's. "You have chosen your own demise." Then he straightened his back. "Take him away."

------------

"Are you sure this is a smart idea?" Lila asked in a hushed voice, wringing her hands together nervously.

Lith nodded grimly, glancing to his right and to his left to make sure no one was following them through the dark woods. "This is right. It may not be smart."

"Oh Lith…" The elf girl sighed, rubbing her pale forehead.

"Stop worrying. We need to do this."

Lila nodded, holding her head high. "You're right. Marak was kind enough to let us come and go as we please. We should help."

They went on in silence, trying to be as quiet as they could on the muddy road. Behind them, were Marta and Imogen, both wearing hooded cloaks. Imogen heard nothing that her elven companions were whispering. Her thoughts were too heavy and anxious to let her focus on anything else.

_Will Marak be alright?_

_Sure, he'll be fine. He is the goblin king. Stop worrying, Imogen. He'd tell you to do that._

_This is ridiculous! What if we're walking straight into a trap?_

_Well, they're not expecting us. Besides, stop being so doom and gloom. Everything'll be fine!_

_I can only hope…It's not fair that Lila and Lith are sacrificing their place in the elf camp. I wish they didn't have to._

_They volunteered! Besides, they can always stay with the goblins. And you sound like you don't want to save him!_

_Of course I want to save him! I'm just…scared._

"Are you alright, Imogen?" Lila's cautious voice pulled her out of her daze.

Imogen put on a fake smile. "Oh, yes. I'll be fine."

"Oh this is ridiculous…I can't believe that the stupid..." Behind them, Marta was grumbling to herself.

Lith smirked. "You're such a whiner."

Marta looked disgusted. "I'm so tired of-" Before she could finish, Lith shushed her.

"Quiet. We're coming up on the camp."

Marta stuck her hands on her hips. "I'll thank you not to tell me what to do." She whispered harshly.

"Just be silent." He led them to an underbrush that allowed them enough cover and still aloud them to see the whole of the camp.

"So, when do we start the plan?" Imogen asked.

Lith smirked, watching an elf walk close by. "Right now."

- - -

A/N: _So did you like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know. In your review say "flying house" if you've read my author notes! Can you tell I've been listening to the Wicked soundtrack all day? haha. Thanks for reading and reviewing! __See you next chapter!_


	13. Chapter 13: The Isolation Cabin

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hollow Kingdom series, nor do I own the poems from Edgar Allan Poe.

A/N: _Hello everyone! Guess what? I ordered tickets for Wicked! I'm so excited. We're going to go to Chicago and see it in a couple of months. Anyways, a few things before we start. The first is that I have chosen an update day: Wednesday. It should usually be then, unless things are not going according to plan. In which case, don't worry. I'm either on a trip (which I'll inform you of) or just running a bit behind. Just to let you wonderful people know, I have posted the beginning of my OneShot collection, which will feature seven Harry Potter pairings. Once I'm done with that, I'm going to post a Harry Potter, Next Generation fic featuring the most beautiful Rose Weasley. So, look for that soon. I guess that's all I have for now. Enjoy!_

"_Hast thou, not torn the Naiad from her flood_

_The Elfin from the green grass, and from me_

_The summer dream beneath the tamarind tree?"_

-Edgar Allan Poe, Sonnet to Science

- - -

Chapter Thirteen:

Isolation

Marak hit the ground, throbbing. He knew something on him was bleeding, but he did not have the strength to find out what it was. After wetting his lips, his realized that it was the inside of his cheek that was bleeding.

He sighed and rolled into a ball, hiding himself from the cold. The guards had stripped him of his shirt and beaten him, whipped him and mocked him, before throwing him into a musty, dirty hut that he could only assume served as the jailhouse or dungeon.

He laid there, alone, breathing quietly. His hands and feet were tied with a strong, magic knot that only elves knew and Marak had already wasted enough energy trying to free himself from it. So he laid still, trying to regain even an ounce of strength.

But suddenly, something in the shadows shifted. "W-who's there?" Marak murmured, hardly being able to speak.

He could not see anyone, but he could hear someone whispering to itself. "I banish youuuuuu. You sickly dog. You impertinent swine. You are forever whining about your pitiful life. Well, I'm tired of it." The voice, sickly and deathly quiet, paused. "Be rid of you." It whispered, searing through the darkness like a knife.

"Who…are you?" Marak groaned, still trying to handle the pain.

"Who are _you_? Who are you to speak against my word? Leave my presence!" His voice became a bit higher, seemingly taking on a new character. "But they exist I tell you! They do!"

"Don't listen to him." This was a new, different voice. It sounded like velvet.

"Who's there?" Marak lifted his head up slightly so as to see the new speaker.

From out of the shadows came a girl, her dark hair was ragged and looked as though it hadn't't been attended to for a while. She was tall and her face was dirty. Her eyes were two different colors. One was blue, the other purple. But Marak wasn't't looking at any of this. Instead, was gazing at her arms. One was longer than the other.

The girl seemed to catch onto this. She cocked her head to the side. "So you've noticed? I'm not surprised."

Marak shook his head. "No, I didn't't mean anything by it. I just…noticed."

"Yes. Everyone 'just notices.'" She helped him lean up against a pole that stood in the middle of the shack where a circle of moonlight shown in.

The girl retreated to the shadows and returned with her hands full of elf herbs and medicine. Instantly, she tended to his wounds beginning with his one bloody eyebrow. "What is your name?" The goblin king inquired.

"Helena." She replied, soaking a towel in salve.

"And your last name?"

"I don't remember." She murmured.

"I'm sorry. How did you…?"

"Get to be this way?" She finished. "I was born this way."

"Did they…abandon you?" His eyebrows scrunched together.

"I hardly remember." Marak wasn't't sure if she was telling the truth or choosing not to remember. Either way, he did not press it.

"How…long have you been here?"

"Fourteen years. I'm sixteen." She said, sensing his next question.

"But why would they put you in jail?"

"This isn't't really a jail." She didn't't meet his eyes.

"Then…what is it?"

"They call it the Untouchables' cabin or the Isolation hut. It's for those who are taken captive or are no longer wanted by the tribe but too young to banish. Like me."

"What happens if the tribe needs to move?"

Helena stopped her work for a moment. "The Isolation hut will stay, so will it's inhabitance. They will starve and die." As she looked at him, he saw fear in those odd-colored eyes and felt sorry for her.

Marak frowned. "And what about him? Why is he here?" He motioned with his head to the hunched figure in the dark.

"He was too dangerous to let go."

"What's wrong with him?"

"He's a human."

Marak was silent for a few moments. He was really awed by how much he had not known. How could he not have known all the terrible things that were going on? Was it only an accident or was he blind? The questions fogged up his mind as the deformed elf girl continued to tend his wounds.

It wasn't't so much that he didn't't expect the elves to be cruel to people like this, but, it was such a waste of talent. This girl was obviously a gifted healer. She could do well in the eleven camp, had she only been beautiful. Marak wished reverently that this girl would find her place and prove to her captors that she was talented. Plus, it would do the elves some good to exercise tolerance.

Marak laid his head back on the wooden poll, sighing. He prayed silently that his wife would be alright. That she wouldn't't loose hope; that she would not fear. To be honest, Marak was more afraid for Imogen, than he was for himself.

As he slowly began to fall asleep, he could only wonder where or what his wife was doing…

-----------

"Ah, Lith. You're back early."

Lith nodded his hands behind his back. "I am indeed. Your business did not take as long as we thought."

The older elf gaurd's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Business? I thought you were visiting your relatives."

Lith did not seem to be intimidated. "Well, it turned out that the tribe they belong to recently moved. We just missed them." He said, waving his hand as though it didn't't matter. "What's all the fuss about?" He motioned to the clumps of villagers who were all whispering to each other.

"The blasted goblin king had the gull to come and ask King Semptimus for something. He was thrown into the isolation hut."

Lith pretended to be surprised. "Oh really? How odd…" Just then, he put a hand behind his back and motioned for Imogen to go.

"Where is the isolation cabin?" She whispered as she, Marta and Lila crawled on their knees toward the cabin, wherever it was.

"Just this way." Lila murmured back, pointing forward. "I know what I'm doing." She promised as she led on.

Marta scowled. "You had better know what you're doing!"

"Shut up!" Imogen insisted, putting a finger to her lips.

They crawled on, leaving Lila to whisper quietly to herself and Marta to grumble about how she was ruining the dress her mother made her by crawling through all this "blasted" mud.

Finally, they came to a stop nearby a lit tent. "This," Lila whispered, peaking above the bushes "Is right across from where the isolation hut is."

Imogen, standing on her knees, looked around. "Where?"

Lila, her pretty dark blue eyes matching the dark, misty woods surrounding them, pointed towards a dark, deserted hut. "It's there."

Imogen took a shaky breath. "Alright. Wish me luck."

"Good luck."

Standing shakily, she took a breath in preparation and walked, with barely any confidence towards the shadowy hut. She kept her head down, hoping that the mud on her skirt would not attract attention and that the hood was covering her face, so that she was rendered unrecognizable. With several quick steps, she reached the hut, looked left and right, gave Marta and Lila one last look and slipped inside.

- - -

A/N: _Sorry, this one was a bit sort. But, did you like it? I hope so. In your review, if you've read my author notes say "So Close." I love that song. I think it should've won the Oscar. Jon McLaughlin is really talented. His voice has a nice, smoky tone to it. Well, thanks for reading and reviewing and I'll see you next Wednesday! _


	14. Chapter 14: The Plot Thickens

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hollow Kingdom series, or the Phantom of the Opera. So there. Now put that pointy object down…

A/N: _It's update day! So, not much to say here. Just please keep reading, it's going to be awesome. So, yeah, I'm still trying to work through the plot at this point. I feel like there are so many ways I can go with this. If you have any suggestions, you can always let me know. Okay, well, have fun reading!_

"_We have all been blind, and yet the answer is staring us in the face. This could be the chance to ensnare our clever friend. We shall play his game, perform his work, but remember we hold the ace; for if Miss Daaé sings, he is certain to atten__d."_

- Raoul, The Phantom of the Opera

&.&.&.&.&

Chapter Fourteen:

The Plot Thickens

A voice, calling out, echoed through the hollow hut. "Imogen?"

"Marak!" Imogen shut the door and rushed forward to hug her husband, not noticing Helena who slunk back into the shadows.

"Imogen." He murmured again, relieved. He wished to embrace her back, but the bonds held his hands tight and would not falter. "Are you alright?" He smiled at her as she broke the hug.

"Are _you _alright?" She was shaking with worry and concern.

"I'm fine." He assured in a soothing voice.

She scoffed. "Fine?! Look at you!" She motioned to his bruises.

He chuckled quietly. "Nothing but scratches. They'll heal."

She inspected them. "At least they've kept good care of you."

"They haven't." Marak twisted around to look into the shadows and motioned for Helena to come forth. She did, albeit reluctantly. "This girl helped me."

Imogen nodded. "Thank you." She murmured, grateful. "Now then, let's unite you."

"It's impossible." The goblin king assured his wife. "These are Elf Knots. They tighten when you try to break them. Only spells work on them."

"But, I can do spells, can't I?"

"You aren't skilled enough yet." He shook his head. "Something could happen…"

"Marak! I can't leave you here!" She flung herself at him again, beginning to sob.

"I know. I know." He whispered in her ear, his voice calm like a parent to his child.

She pulled back, looking into his deep blue eyes. "Then…what are we going to do?"

Marak grinned, looking ever-cat like. "We goblins always have tricks up our sleeves."

Lith retreated to a place by the bushes, not wanting to attract any more attention. "Lila?" He whispered. "Are you there?"

"I'm here." She murmured back. "Did you find anything out?"

"Yes. It is as we feared, the king is planning an attack on London very soon. Once there, who knows what he could do."

"Does he know of Imogen?"

Lith's eyebrows furrowed. "Why would that matter? I don't think he really cares much. If he has the center of England under his thumb, what else could matter?"

Lila frowned. "He may not see it that way, but don't you understand?"

"Understand what?" Her brother and Marta asked at the same time.

"Imogen can do something about this!" She exclaimed quietly. "She has enough power to influence many."

"To do what?" Marta frowned. "Almost-kill themselves? This is practically suicide." She muttered quietly.

Lith scowled at her. "Do you _ever _think positive?"

Marta glared back at him, stubborn as always. "At least I'm not an elf."

"Oh stop it you two." Lila crossed her arms, watching the elves pass by, going about their business.

Marta raised an eyebrow. "So, what do we do now?"

"I think I have just the idea…" Lith smirked, looking at something the women couldn't see. They followed his gaze towards the king's tent.

&.&.&.&.&

"Peliforith," King Septimus called from his throne, a sigh emitting from his lips. "You may come out now."

"Oh good." A little man appeared behind the throne. His back was gnarled and he had a permanent evil grin on his mouth. "I was getting tired of hiding."

The elf king looked away, obviously repulsed by his servant's current condition. "Sit down, Peliforith." The king instructed, still refusing to look at him.

"You are so gracious!" The little man cried, throwing his arms in the air. "How kind of you to think that I might be uncomfortable standing." He sat. "You are wise too!" His whiny voice drowned on. "Yes, so wise! It was right of you to imprison that nasty goblin king." He stuck his tongue out in disgust.

"You think so?" The king smiled.

"Oh yes my lord! So very wise you are!"

King Septimus looked down, close to where his advisor was sitting. "Ah, yes. I think so too." He rubbed his chin."

"So?"

"So what?"

"So…? What is your master plan?" The little man asked.

"We shall…wait." The king smiled deviously.

Peliforth frowned. "Wait? My lord you are a man of action!"

The king glared at him, looking at Peliforth for the first time. "Dare you question me?" I asked stiffly.

"No, no! Of course not!" The man bowed with the upper half of his body, as though he was worshiping a pagan god.

"Good." The king smiled again. "We will wait for the goblins to make the first move. Then…my plan shall commence."

&.&.&.&.&

Lila, Marta and Lith were listening outside. "Oh my goodness…" Lila put a hand to her mouth. "What are we going to do?"

Lith frowned. "We should return to the goblin city and warn everyone." He said grimly.

"They might not believe us." Marta crossed her arms, concerned.

"We have to try something." Lith said, passion and determination in his eyes.

"Ah yes, you'll be doing something." They all froze. Slowly, they turned to see a shadowy figure standing over them. In his hand, was a knife, glinting in the moonlight.

&.&.&.&.&

A/N: _So, did you like it? Please let me know what you think. If you read my author notes say "whisper" in your review! Thanks for reading and reviewing! See you next week!_


	15. Chapter 15: It Begins

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or Sleepy Hollow. Sadly enough.

A/N: _Hello everyone! I'm back! Sorry about last week…I totally needed to step back and see what I needed to do. So, I've figured out loosely where I would like this to go and got a chapter or two in tow. So that's good. I'm so very sorry, because I just realized that my chapter breakers weren't working! So, I changed it twice. Hopefully now it works.Now then, I do have a few questions…Would you guys mind if I changed the name of this fan fiction? If so, do you have an idea for the title? Would you like me to put in review replies so that everyone can see them? Would you like me to put an author note at the end or just say everything in the first author note? Okay, so if you answer those questions that would be great. Well then, I think that's all I have to say for now. Happy reading!_

"_Villainy wears many masks, none of which so dangerous as virtue..."_

- Ichabod Crane, Sleepy Hollow

O.o.O.o.O.o.

Chapter Fifteen:

It Begins

Everything was dark.

Marta was unhappy.

Yes, indeed, Marta was sitting in the dark with a heavy grimace on her face (not that anyone could see it). "This is a load of ridiculousity."

"Ridicu-what?" Lith asked, just as skeptical as ever.

"Ridiculousity. It's a word."

"Actually, it's not a word." Lith was probably crossing his arms, as stubborn as ever.

"Stop it, both of you." This was Lila, trying to be the peacemaker.

"Oh yes? Well then is 'ludicrousitic' a word?" Lith asked, ignoring his sister's try for peace.

"It is." Marta nodded, annoyed. She crossed her arms.

He frowned, painstakingly indignant. "You're hopeless."

"I could say the same about you."

They were quiet for a while, except for heavy sighing from both Lith and Marta; Lila was inclined to join in after she became thoroughly annoyed with the goblin woman and her brother; they were, after all, acting like children.

"So," Lila huffed. "Where are we?"

"All I know is that it hurt getting here." Marta grimaced. "I may not have been able to see, but I could certainly feel."

"What are we to do now?"

Marta frowned. "We wait." She didn't sound very happy about it.

They had hardly any hope.

O.o.O.o.O.o.

What they didn't know, was that, at that very moment, a goblin messenger strode into the elven camp with a grim look on his face. He was greeted, quite coldly, by an elven guard who seemed appalled at the sight of the goblin that had buck horns sticking out of his back and white hair that covered his body as if he was a great horse.

"May I help you?" The guard said stiffly.

"Yes indeed you may." The goblin smiled slightly, being as he was much more civil than the guard;still he was just as uncomfortable.

"You are here to see the king, yes?" The guard had been told to expect goblin visitors, though at the time he'd scoffed at the very idea.

"Are we playing twenty questions?" The goblin joked. When the guard did not laugh, his smile faded and he nodded roughly. "I am here to see your king and ask to receive our king back."

The tension in the air suddenly became much more electric. The guard laughed, letting go of his stiffness for a moment. "I doubt that will happen." When the goblin's frown turned into scowl, the guard stepped into his persona again. "But, you may see him, if he allows you to."

The goblin nodded again. "Thank you."

The elf began to lead him towards the tent. "Pray for his mercy, for it is not easily given."

The goblin smirked. "As if I haven't already." He muttered to himself.

A quiet "My lord?" awoke Septimus from a very deep sleep. This angered him to no end and made him throw back the covers in disgust. "Who is it?!"

"My liege…you have a visitor." The guard announced, slipping into the tent.

He glared. "Who on Earth would come here at this ungodly hour?" He raged.

The guard shook slightly. "My lord…it is the goblins. They have sent us a messenger."

Septimus froze. "The goblins you say?"

"Indeed my lord."

The elf king smiled wickedly, proud that his plan was going so well. "Very well, send him in." He grabbed a silk robe and slipped into it, before tying the knot loosely around his waist, securing it in place.

The guard bowed, slightly taken aback by the king's sudden change of emotion. "Yes, of course." The king sat on his bed and waited.

He slipped back through the tent opening, only to be replaced by the goblin, who bowed low, to show as much respect as he could muster. "Good evening, King Septimus. Thank you for seeing me."

"Wise words." The elf king smirked. "At this hour, I could barely see anyone. But for one of neighbors, I can make an exception." He sighed, resituating himself. "What may I do for you?"

The goblin cleared his throat. "We have reasons to believe that our king left our kingdom two days ago to meet with you. He promised to return for the end of our three-day celebration. When he did not return, we worried."

"Do you not trust me?" The elf king asked, feigning innocence.

"I have reason not to." The goblin said stiffly.

"Ah, yes, how true. I find it perpetually sad how our two races have been cruelly pitted against each other." He masked his face with sadness, making the goblin relax slightly.

The goblin frowned. "Indeed."

The king stood up, clasping his hands together. "Do sit." The goblin did so. "May I inquire your name?" He asked politely.

"My name is Gallant."

The king smiled. "Brave? Courageous? Well, that is not hard to believe. You are a strapping young goblin after all."

"Thank you." But the goblin could not be deterred. "Where is my king?" He asked, a bit more relaxed now.

King Septimus's face became stony. The smile slid off his face like snow from a mountain. An avalanche of anger was sure to come. "Dare you question my trustworthiness?" He asked, his voice dangerously quiet.

"Not at all." Gallant stood, slightly offended "I only wanted to ask if you knew anything about my king." He insisted, stiffening again.

"Don't you dare talk to me with such confidence." The king spat, turning on him like a snake. "I'm tired of your race. They deserve to be enslaved."

Gallant gritted his teeth. "Who do you think you are?"

"I am King Septimus of the elves, son of Maruga and Henderson, commoners of the tribe. _I _have made a name for myself. _I _will not be defeated." He yelled.

There was silence.

"So does this mean war?" Gallant asked with quiet ferocity.

"It does indeed."

They turned to look at each other. "Alert your people." The elf king's eyes pierced through Gallant. "Go, or I'll have you killed."

He left in a flourish, leaving the king to chuckle to himself. "So it begins."


	16. Chapter 16: London

The streets of London were crowded as usual

Disclaimer: I do not own Hollow Kingdom, sadly. I also do not own Wicked.

A/N: _Hello everyone! I'm so very sorry about not updating last week. I just had to take another break. But things are going well, I like the way this story is going. I guess, for now I'm not going to change the title. But maybe later. Anyways, I like this chapter a lot. It was just an idea I had and it really is going to shape things later. One thing to keep in mind: there will be a mention of the night Imogen was kidnapped. After I wrote it, I had this wonderful idea that Marak would steal a dance with her beforehand. So, I'm going to say that it happened. When I complete this story, I will go back and correct it. But for now, just keep it in mind. So, on another subject, I just recently received two of the Hollow Kingdom books as a present for my birthday. I'm very excited about it . So now I can refer back to it. Wonderful, right? Okay, well, enjoy!_

"_Something bad is happening in Oz. Something bad, happening in Oz. Under the surface, behind the scenes, something bad."_

- Something Bad, Wicked

O.o.O.o.O.o.

Chapter Sixteen:

London

The streets of London were crowded as usual. The throngs of people pushed past each other in the usual morning rush. On the street, automobiles were chugging along on their morning commute. High above them, Big Ben watched like a grim angel.

One person, in particular, was walking the streets that day. He was walking with his head down. His face was long and bleak with not a trace of happiness. He was tall and by the looks of it, he was losing weight.

Ever since his bride and mysteriously disappeared (though he knew she had run away), he had been too depressed to do anything other than work as much as he could.

Something about that night had not seemed right. There was a masked stranger…He had said nothing to anyone. He danced with some lady, before cutting in on the groom to dance with the bride. At the time, Paul, the groom-to-be, had thought nothing of it. Perhaps the champagne had gone to his head…

He had mauled over the thought, tossing and turning it in his head. He still couldn't understand it. Who was the shadowed man? Had Imogen run away with him? Why?

Shaking his head to rid it of its thoughts, he pressed on. Perhaps Paul would find someone else. He sighed, or maybe not.

All of the sudden, the earth shook and people fell to the ground, clutching at anything solid. Several car horns screeched as the people in them cried out.

The rumbling stopped, leaving the people of London to look around, wondering what had just happened. Tentative murmurs of "what just happened?" and "was that an earthquake?" stumbled through the crowd.

Paul sat up, clutching his bowler hat to his head. He knew, because of extensive reading, that the earthquake hadn't been an accident. Something was amiss but he didn't have the heart to know.

He stood, prepared to slip back into his depression and forget that anything had happened. But suddenly, the ground shook again, forcing him to latch onto a nearby streetlight.

He looked up into the sky as the wind began to pick up. Without a thought, his legs began to move towards his home. Quickly, his jog turned into run and then a sprint. His thoughts turned home as he realized that it may no longer be intact.

The pounding of his heart began to grow louder and faster, but he could not stop the worries that turned in his head. He could only hope that things would be alright.

Inwardly, he scolded himself for taking his home and everything in it for granted. Had he only known how long things lasted...? But, with his luck it wouldn't have mattered. He always lost everything, even the woman he loved.

His thoughts turned, for the hundredth time that morning, to Imogen and her beautiful face, how nothing could change her beauty. And her smile was so pure…

And again, he wondered if he had ever really loved her. He had barely known her after all. Stubbornly, he tried, if only for a moment, to blame that on her. If only she had made an effort to know him, perhaps love might have been achieved.

But no…it was his fault. He'd been a fool and missed his chance. Nothing could be done now, but hope he could receive another chance and even that might be asking too much. He would live with his consequences and be miserable. After all he deserved it.

Suddenly, he was pulled off his feet and his face was clammed against street. He pushed himself up, shakily, and wiped his now-bleeding nose. Something flew over his head and he ducked down, covering his head.

He looked up to see an arrow lying just a few inches in front of him.

What on earth? He wondered. Arrows hadn't been used since the middle ages. What insanity would drive someone to use those nowadays?

He looked around, wondering what had just happened, what had pulled him off his feet and why people would still be using arrows.

I'm very sorry to inform you that had Paul stood and went back on his way he would've saved himself a lot of trouble. Alas, our dear minor player becomes major and will play a big part in the things to come.

But until then…

Paul stood, looking around. His curiosity was piqued and his annoyance was beginning to boil. He just had to figure out what was going on and stop it once and for all.

"All hail the king!" A voice rang out from down the street, making Paul stare. Two girls, beautiful and innocent looking, strode down the street scattering crimson rose petals as they went. Behind them, a ravish carriage slid down the street led by several trotting horses.

O.o.O.o.O.o.

The king chuckled at his own cleverness. Who would ever think to take over London? And who would ever expect an attack? It was novel really.

After all, with London in the palm of his hand, England was just a step away. And then, the world.

The carriage pulled up, and the door opened. The elf king stepped out, surveying the vast palace before him. Yes, he decided, it would do. Even though it was a tad shabby, he would tolerate it. For now.

He strode up the steps grandly, his boots clicking loudly. He looked around, smiling to himself; this land would be his and he was immensely proud of it. It wasn't half shabby. After all, this place, from the tip of Big Ben to the puddles on the cobblestone streets, was his tool to control the rest of the world; It would be his control center, where he would make all his decisions.

As his bent-over servant stumbled after him, he walked up to the doors and nodded to the two guards on duty. "Hello gentleman. Your king has arrived."

They looked at each other. "King?" They said at the same time.

"Your _new _king." He gestured to himself and tried to pass through the doors.

They stopped him. "We cannot allow you to pass." One of them said confidently.

King Septimus chuckled. "Do you really think you know who you're dealing with?" They said nothing. He shrugged. "Very well." He place a hand on both of their foreheads, uttered an incantation and the two fell to the ground.

"Great work my lord." Peliforth said, touching his master's arm with a withered hand.

The king shrugged it off and marched through the doors. "Just you wait and see. The real show will begin _after _I take the throne."

O.o.O.o.O.o.

Queen Elizabeth never really believed in fairytales. Perhaps it was the fact that in her younger years, she would have given away her sanity for the life of a princess. But now…she had more sense about her.

Whatever caused her to stop living in those dreams, she would never admit. She would've liked to think that she grew common sense and had lost her whims. But, she would never admit that, after she had become queen, she was miserable. Being a queen wasn't always just pretty dresses and tiaras.

But still…something in her wanted, very badly, to believe that happily ever after was attainable.

So, you can only imagine how she felt when she saw a fairytale burst through the doors and stride into her throne room.

"Dearest Queen Elizabeth." The man greeted, bowing low. She couldn't believe how his ears were so pointed…like an elf.

"Who do I have the pleasure of addressing?" She inquired.

"My name is King Septimus of the northern elves."

She froze. "E-elves did you say?"

He nodded, as though he had just told her that he ruled France. "Indeed. Do you…not believe in them my queen?"

She shook her head, slightly taken aback. "No…! Of course not! No one does."

"And that makes you exempt?" She stared. "It most certainly does not." His smile faded. "Face the facts…" He voice was smooth, almost caring. "You believed once, didn't you?" He asked quietly.

With a sigh, she nodded. "A long time ago."

He smiled sympathetically. "It's so understandable. Perhaps you need to give up your crown to someone more…allegeable."

She froze. "What do you mean?"

He placed his hands together, pretending to be diplomatic. "I mean that, England needs more protection."

"From what exactly?" She crossed her arms, starting to become skeptical.

He sighed, looking down. "I'm so sorry to have to bring this up right away. But I must announce that the goblins are becoming more and more angry every day."

"Goblins?" Her eyebrows rose.

"Yes, goblins. They're hideous and evil. They have always hated London and…I regret to tell you that they've finally decided to act on their childish foolishness." He paused, looking her straight in the eye.

The Queen of England knew what he would say next. And when it came, it did so quickly and quietly but still as potent:

"They're going to attack."

O.o.O.o.O.o.

A/N: _Septimus is a sly one isn't he? Just how is he going to get the throne? Find out next chapter! If you've read my author notes say "The Final Warning." I love Maximum Ride by the way. I just bought the new one ("Maximum Ride: The Final Warning") today. It's lovely. Well, see you next chapter! _


	17. Chapter 17: A War Brews

Disclaimer: If I owned Hollow Kingdom, I would be off on a book tour. As it is, I'm not.

A/N: _Hey everyone! I'm really sorry I haven't updated in a while. Life has been crazy, to say the least and I apologize for it having been a while. So, a few things before I start, the first is that I have a beta now, the lovely NarnianSprite. Many thanks to her for her help. Second, I don't think I have much more to go with this story, maybe five or six more chapters. How crazy is that? Thirdly, I'm trying out this new thing where I'm going to update Midnight's Moon on Tuesday, and my other stories on Wednesday and Thursday. I'm just trying it out, so expect it to change. Well, do enjoy!_

Wolverine: _"Magneto's right, there's a war coming. Are you sure you're on the right side"_

Storm: _"At least I've chosen a side."_

- X-Men

- - -

Chapter Seventeen:

A War Brews

The Queen of England sat up in her chair, fully encased in terror. "Attack?" she asked, in barely a whisper.

King Septimus was enjoying this thoroughly. "Yes. In two days time."

"What am I going to do?" She asked, placing a hand gently on her chest; no matter how much she had run away with her feelings of fear, the poise of a royal did not leave her. It had been engraved into her memories, thoughts and actions by her dear mother.

"You are unable to think clearly at this time." He told her. She nodded, breathing hard. "You must give over the crown to me." He commanded in a velvety, hypnotizing tone.

She froze. "To you?! Never!" She cried, more with dread than with anger.

He stepped towards her. "Now, now Elizabeth. Let us be reasonable."

"How can I?" She asked, looking down. She spoke to him as though he was a confidant. "At a time like this?" She was nervous, he could tell but her defenses were gone; she trusted him.

"_Sh, sh_ dear." He ascended to the throne and put a hand on her arm. "Just let me take over from here."

"Y-yes…that's what I'll do." She stood, putting a hand to her head. Somehow, her mind felt foggy.

"Now then, just hand me that crown." She did so. Just then, a hideous smile spread across his face like blood. "Guards!" He called loudly. To soldiers blundered in, saluting. For a moment, confusion leapt across their faces. "I am your new king." They looked at Queen Elizabeth, to see if this was true. She nodded sadly. "Take her to the Tower of London. She needs to be safe for the battle."

&.&.&.&.&.&.

"Be safe, my pet." Marak smiled slightly as Imogen went to kiss him one last time.

As Imogen drew back, a lone tear slipped down her cheek. She wiped it away with a shaking hand. "I…don't think I can leave you."

"You must." He instructed, but not without sympathy.

She sighed shakily and nodded. "I will. But I'll be back for you." She knelt down and kissed him again. "I love you Marak."

"I love you too, Imogen."

Before she could think about staying, she left the hut wiping tears from her eyes. As she rushed out of the elven encampment, she knew what she must do. She pushed her head up, running at full speed towards home.

&.&.&.&.&.&.

"You know, you smell." Marta informed Lith.

She heard Lith sigh. "Yes, I know. And so do you. We've been sitting here for at least a bloody week. I'm sorry that I didn't have time to shower between then, your highness."

"Well, I'm sorry that you don't care for my goblin perfume." She spat back.

"SHUT UP BOTH OF YOU!" It seemed that Lila had finally snapped. "I'm so tired of you both." She huffed. "We're in this together, so let's do something."

"Fine." Lith crossed his arms. "What do you propose we do?"

They all froze in the dark. "Did you just…move your arms?"

Lith looked down. "Uh…huh." He nodded, thoroughly surprised.

Just then, something thudded on the floor above them and screaming erupted. "Let's get out of here." Marta suggested.

"Yes." Lila nodded as Lith proceeded to untie them both. "We should warn the goblins."

"Immediately." Marta agreed as they all stood and began to walk down the long, damp tunnel. They could barely see anything, but they continued on. When finally they thought they could walk no more, they glimpsed a sliver of light.

They began walking towards it when, all of the sudden, the ground shook. They fell to the ground, shocked. For a few moments, they sat still, listening only to each others breathing.

"Lila?" Lith murmured quietly.

"Yes?"

"Does that seem like an earthquake spell to you?" He asked.

She pondered it for a moment. "Could be. It's got all the right markings of one."

They continued on towards the light which was becoming brighter by the second. No more tremors occurred until they reached the square of light. When Lila reached up to push at the square, another earthquake erupted. This time, however, they held onto each other and kept on their feet.

When they were sure that the ground had stopped its shaking, Lila reached up and pushed on the square. "It's stuck." She announced, sighing as she put a stray hair back in place.

"Let me have a go." Marta suggested, stepping forward.

"Yeah, right." Lith scoffed. "Like you could-" She pushed the square up and out of its position. They were blinded for a moment by the morning sun and extraordinary blue. "Never mind." Lith said awkwardly.

One by one, they pulled themselves up and out of the whole. They were quite surprised by what they saw.

All around were hundreds of people sitting around on the ground, looking confused and unsure of themselves. Shakily, they all stood, one by one, and went reluctantly on with their morning commutes.

"What's got on with them?" Marta asked as she struggled out of the square in the street. Lila and Lith sprung nimbly out and placed the piece of cobblestone back into its place where it blended perfectly.

"It must've had something to do with the earthquakes." Lila said, almost to herself.

Marta grimaced, noticing all the gazes she was getting. "What is with these humans anyway? Why do they keep staring? I'm not the ugly one."

Lith was shocked. "Are you calling me ugly?" He asked.

Lila sighed. "No, dear brother, she was referring to the humans." She frowned. "I must agree." A handsome gent passed her by and she gave him a quick look. "Well, some of them."

&.&.&.&.&.&.

Paul was never much of a curious man, but when he saw the very odd sight of the carriage rushing through the streets, he had to inquire.

His mind was full of turmoil and confusion. But he would put it to rest as he made his way towards Buckingham Palace.

- - -

A/N: _So, what do you think? Please let me know if you liked it. Well, say 'Lena' in your review, if you've read my author notes. Call me crazy, but that's a good book. Lena happens to be my favorite character. Well, see you next chapter! _


	18. Chapter 18: Time Ticks

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Hollow Kingdom, but alas I cannot.

A/N: _So, hey there everyone! It's past update day, I know but I've been really busy lately. Considering my relatives are over and my sister is graduating this week. But, don't worry I'm updating, that's good enough, correct? I am a little upset though. I didn't get any reviews last week and it's forced me to do something very terrible: I must enforce the rule that unless I get three reviews or more, this story will go on un-updated. Come on now you guys, I'm writing this for you. Please let me know you're still with me! Many thanks to my new beta, NarnianSprite. She is a lovely, good friend and I thank her for being so willing to help. Now, I'm really discouraged about this story. I have a few vague ideas, but nothing more than that. I think I know where I'd like this to go but I'm not sure how to get there. So, I promise I'll finish it but your support and input is vital to the goodness of this fan fiction. Either way, I estimate a few more chapters- about five or more. It kind of depends though. Oh and before I go, please vote on my poll for my upcoming fan fiction. I'd love to hear what you guys think. Well, do enjoy and don't forget to review!_

_"Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it."_

- Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

- - -

Chapter Eighteen:

Time Ticks

The hut was quiet, as Marak sighed to himself. He leaned his head against the pole and looked up into the sky. A day had passed and he found himself staring into a deep, lush twilight. He only wished that he could enjoy it to the fullest.

"She's very beautiful." Helena's voice made him jump; he'd half-forgotten she was there.

He nodded, smiling. "She is."

Helena came to sit down next to him. She crossed her legs. "She is your wife, yes?"

Again, he nodded. "Only for a little while. But I feel like I've known her forever."

She put a hand on his arm. "You love her very much. I can tell."

Marak nodded, wondering if his love would last an on-coming war and if Imogen would be able to rally enough troupes to scare the elf king. Somehow, he doubted it.

&.&.&.&.&.&.

Imogen's lungs burned and her legs were tired. In normal circumstances, she would've stopped long ago. But the direness of the situation allowed her to continue, no matter how hard it was.

She pushed her sore legs onward and hoped that perhaps she might make it in time so that she could be of help.

A pang resounded in her heart. It was a pang of realization. Perhaps that was why she always strived for her best. Perhaps that was why she held so much resentment against her mother.

Finally, she reached an open meadow where the entrance to the goblin kingdom lay. She sighed, in preparation as the door began to open, and rushed inside.

&.&.&.&.&.&.

Lila seemed as if she could not be happier. "Look at it! It's very beautiful, you know," she hopped up and down on her feet, admiring all the people and the shops. "Such class, such wonders!" She threw her hands out and spun around in glee.

Marta sat on a bench and watched. "Ah, youth," she muttered to herself. "It is wasted in fleeting moments like these."

Lith was propped up against a tree, watching the scene. "That's not youth. It's stupidity."

Marta looked at him for a moment. "Is she almost always like this?"

"Oh, yes almost always," he nodded, rolling his eyes.

The goblin woman looked away and muttered something under her breath. "So, you don't get out much do you?" She asked.

His skeptical look was confirmation enough. "No, but neither do you."

She rolled her eyes. "Stop quarreling with me boy. I know enough from what I've read in books."

Lith sighed quietly. "So, where do we go from here?"

Marta looked at him for a moment, before examining her surroundings. "Well, our best bet would be to find whoever runs this dump," her eyes rested on a great palace. "and by the looks of it, that person probably lives there." She pointed towards the large building and as the three of them looked at it, they felt sure that that was where they needed to be.

&.&.&.&.&.&.

Paul was sure, even before he'd seen the unconscious guards, that something was very wrong. But as he entered the red-carpeted hallways, it became even more eerie. There seemed to be no living soul venturing through the halls. And this worried him greatly.

None the less, he continued towards the throne room. He barely breathed for fear that it might awaken some ungodly beast. It was so silent, that someone could've heard his own thoughts.

But suddenly something broke the silence, making him jump. "And you two, I want you to guard the doors," the voice was suspiciously male; why wasn't the queen issuing these orders?

As the voice spoke, which sounded almost like velvet, Paul followed it. It seemed to be coming from several different directions, so he followed it into a small room with a vent. He opened the vent to see a strange man sitting on the large throne with most of the regiment standing around him.

"And several of you shall wait at this door to make sure that no one enters unannounced," the man was ordering. Paul wondered if perhaps a rebellion had taken place and this man had been their leader.

"And what of the queen?" one of the soldiers asked, a bit cautiously.

The king froze. "How dare you ask of her?! She is where she belongs," he stood, raising his arms mid-waist. "Hear me, all of you: you shall never mention your queen again. _I _am your king now," he put a hand to his chest "you obey _me_. Is that quite understood?" The soldiers nodded curtly, not wanting to anger him. "Now go." he commanded them.

When they had all left, a little man came out from behind the throne. "That went well my lord…"

The king scoffed. "They do not fear my as much as they should. We will need to change that." He placed a hand on his chin, rubbing it slightly. His gaze shifted around the room and rested on Paul's own.

He froze, not sure what to do. The king merely grinned. "Come in, dear man."

Paul stood shakily and, as if forced by a spell, walked stiffly towards the doors to the throne chambers. The soldiers tried to stop him, but the king called jovially through the doors that Paul should be sent in. He referred to them as having a "mutual friend; Although, Paul could not guess who it might be.

He entered reluctantly, hoping that he wasn't facing death even at that moment. The king gazed at him, like a great cat gazing at its prey. "So, Paul is it?"

Paul nodded grimly. "And who are you?"

"Someone is very direct aren't we?" the king was not pleased but forced himself to continue smiling. "You may refer to me as king."

Paul crossed his arms. "What happened to the queen?"

"She was put somewhere for safe keeping."

Paul wasn't sure exactly what that meant, but he didn't have the heart to know.

- - -

A/N: _Feed the starving writer with an ornery muse. Click the purple button. Haha. In your review, if you've read my author notes, please say "Ariana." I love Ariana Dumbledore . She's great. Well, see you soon! _


	19. Chapter 19: Moon Stone

Disclaimer: I don't own Hollow Kingdom.

A/N: Okay, so it's been forever, I know. I'm so sorry. I was on a mission trip and I had writers block on this baby, so I didn't know what to do. But I have a plot idea know and I'm pretty excited about it. Now, a few things before we start: First, I have decided to change the time period to 1872 (a year after the Titanic sunk) considering I don't know how to write in the twenty's time period. Second, I'm going to say that her father died while on the Titanic and her mother was a survivor. Thirdly, I'll be stepping back for a week or two to fix a few things and post the fixed chapters, while working on the next chapter. So, do enjoy this chapter!

Thanks to my reviewers: xTamikax and Major Lynette. Thanks also to my wonder beta, Narnian Sprite!

- - -

Chapter Nineteen:

Moon Stone

Imogen rushed through the underground halls of the Goblin city, hoping that she could rally all her husband's subjects in time.

It was just then that a man stepped in her path. He looked strangely like Marta and she wondered briefly if they were related. "Woah, madam. What's the rush?"

She tried to push passed him, but he wouldn't move. "Please, let me get by," she begged.

He still wouldn't budge. "What's matter little one?"

She relaxed slightly, breathing hard. "The king is trapped! I need to unite everyone and go save him!"

He sat there for a moment and then something seemed to occur to him. "You're the new queen, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," she nodded.

He seemed to ponder something for a moment. "Perhaps I can help you."

&.&.&.&.&.&.

Imogen sat down in the small, circular council chamber and sighed, worry building up in her chest. She has a task to complete, but the strange man had insisted that she come with him. She wondered wryly if Marak had to deal with this often and she decided that if he did, which was most likely, it had made him the patient person he was.

The man took a chair and stared at her for a moment. "Now, I must begin by thanking you for coming and hearing me out. I understand the direness of the situation and I do believe there is something that I can do."

She stopped him. "Who are you?"

"I am Morris, Marta's brother," he announced with a sense of pride.

"It's a pleasure," she said quietly.

He nodded. "Thank you, queen. But, to press on-"

"Yes, of course. The thing you were going to tell me about."

He paused. "Instead of me telling you, perhaps I should show you."

&.&.&.&.&.&.

He brought her through many dank and dripping tunnels full of sharp and dangerous-looking stalactites. With each step, they burrowed deeper and deeper underground, until they finally arrived at a very large cave with a very high, dripping ceiling. Taking up most of the cave was a glossy, black lake.

The man led her over to one of the cave walls and with a heavy sigh, pressed against it with great force.

Imogen was about to ask what he was doing, when a small notch opened up in the wall. He stuck his hand inside and with drew a small object wrapped in tan paper and a rough string.

He untied the string and tore away the paper. There, lying in his palm was a beautiful silver rock. It seemed to glow on its own. The light seemed to be coming from the core.

"This," he held it carefully in his palm "it a moon stone. The pure-blood elves show a strange aversion to it."

Imogen frowned, slightly confused. "How so?"

"They become ill whenever one is around. They are weakened considerably. But as soon as the moon rock is out of the range, they return to normal."

"So, how do you want me to use this?" She crossed her arms.

He held it up to his eyes and seemed to gaze through it. "You can use it on the elf king. He is, after all, half-full of elf blood. The stronger the blood, the better it works. But…there's a catch."

Imogen bit her lip. "What is it?"

"It must be used within a yard of the king and it can only be used at night."

Imogen stared down at it in wonder. It glowed generously, making the entire cave light up in a blue, pearly glow. "Is that all?"

Morris looked down, as if ashamed. "No…it's not."

"Then, how-?"

He stopped her. "The moon stone can only be used by these two queens of an ancient legend that were said to one day return. Only they may use this stone to its full potential."

"How can I find them?" She asked.

"They…disappeared. It may be years until they appear again, if at all. But…perhaps you can go to London and persuade the king that you have the two queens on your side. The armies will be there soon afterward, so perhaps if you can hold him off until then."

She sighed slightly. "If that's what must be done…I'll do it."

A/N: So, what is all this about the two queens and how do they fit in? Will Imogen be able to trick the king? And what of Marak? Find out soon!


	20. Chapter 20: Two Queens

Disclaimer: I do not own Hollow Kingdom.

_A/N: Hello everyone! So, in case you haven't heard, I'm finishing this series: today. Yesterday, I mustered enough energy to get my lazy self in gear and finally post those edited chapters. So then I realized how close I was to the end. And I've decided to finally put Midnight's Moon on my list of things to do and just finish it. So come tonight or tomorrow: it'll be finished! Finally! It's been…forever. So, a little bit of a change in the chapters: I've finally decided on a time period: it's 1944. Right near the end of WWII. And Marak appeared at the wedding's eve masquerade to dance with Imogen. You can go back and read chapters one, three and five as they have been edited. As for the ceremony, I have decided not to change it. One, because it's too much work. Two, because I feel that the ceremony was tailored for Marak and Imogen, and I want it to stay that way. So, here's chapter twenty. Thanks to my beta NarnianSprite and please enjoy!_

--

**Midnight's Moon**

Chapter Twenty: Two Queens

--

The room was silent as Paul stood and watched the king with as much courage and defiance as he could muster. "What do you want?" Paul asked.

The king rubbed his chin and smirked slightly. "I have always wanted a good adviser," There was a yelp that came from behind the throne, but King Septimus didn't seem to notice. Either that or he ignored it.

"And you are proposing that I fill that spot?" Paul asked.

"Indeed, I am," the king set his fingers into a steeple and smiled mysteriously.

"And what, may I ask, happened to the queen?" Paul sounded a lot more confident than he felt and this made him glad.

King Septimus was not to be daunted and of this fact he was proud. "She is away at the moment. I am the new king. She placed me in charge."

There was a moment of silence. Paul didn't dare look into the strange king's eyes that seemed to pierce his soul. It was a good offer and perhaps, in this position, he might be able to make his way in the world, just like he'd always wanted.

"What would you have me do, my king?" he bowed low, deciding that he might be able to sway the odds better if he used flattery.

The king leaned forward. "How much do you know about goblins?"

&.&.&.&.&.&.

Imogen took shaky breaths. She wasn't ready for this but she had to; it was their only hope. With another breath, she pushed open the doors and faced the anxious goblins of her husband's city.

"Hello everyone," she murmured through a small microphone.

"Where is the king?!" a goblin in the crowd shouted out.

Imogen bit her lip. "He's been abducted by elves."

"They've broken the treaty!" someone shouted from the crowd.

Imogen couldn't breathe for a moment. Her hands shook and she bit her lip. "P-please!

The crowd quieted a little, leaving Imogen to clutch the long stand with both hands, on which the little microphone sat. "If we want to get the king back, I'll need your help. Are you willing?"

They cheered, some pumping their fists in the air.

Imogen nodded, breathing in the musty air and staring up at the shining, moonlit lake above them. "Then gather all your weapons and armor. We may need them."

&.&.&.&.&.&.

"So…I'm just going to take a stab in the dark and say we're not supposed to be here," Lith whispered loudly as he, Marta and Lila tip-toed through the red-carpeted hallways of what Lith assumed was the King or Queen's headquarters.

"Actually, we all received invites for afternoon tea," Marta said. "Of course we're not almost supposed to be here!" she moaned quietly. "I wasn't aware that elves could be so dim."

Lila, who was walking in the front, shushed them both. "I think I hear something…"

They all paused and listened hard, straining their ears a hint of any sound. All they could manage was a booming voice ordering something to be done.

"My, my, the Queen of England seems to be having trouble with her voice."

Lila listened a moment more. "That must be Septimus. It has to be. I'd recognize his voice anywhere."

Just then a door opened and a young man stepped out. The voice seemed to continue but it came from the room beyond, the one that the man had just come out of.

He muttered something under his breath and turned to walk down the hallway, only to be stop dead when seeing the odd-looking trio staring at him.

"Who are you?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"I might ask you the same question," Lith said, putting a hand on his sword hilt and pushed the man up against the wall, making the blade hover close to the man's neck.

They stood there, silent, staring at each other. Both were tense and breathing raggedly until Lith backed off and sheathed his sword.

"Allies?" he held out his gloved hand.

The man, who had just finished catching his breath, shook Lith's hand. "Indeed. I'm Paul."

Marta's jaw dropped, she seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "As in, 'Paul' Paul? The Paul that Imogen was engaged to?"

Paul's eyes widened. "You know Imogen? How is she?" he asked hurriedly.

"I'm almost... not…quite sure…" Marta admitted, trailing off and leaving the twins to stare at them in confusion.

The man seemed devastated. Marta hadn't seen Paul before this moment, but she'd heard of him. Before this, she'd imagined him to be cruel, strict, unsmiling and not even caring for Imogen. But she was wrong. His eyes were full of worry and hopelessness. Under his eyes were little dark bags that indicated sleeplessness.

And for the first time in her life, Marta wanted to hug someone.

"Don't worry dear," she said instead. "I'm sure she's just fine."

He nodded solemnly. He must've really loved her, Marta figured.

&.&.&.&.&.&.

_Two days prior._

Marak was quiet as the two guards strode into the small hut and cut his ropes free. He breathed a hushed sigh of relief as he rubbed his wrists, trying to soothe the roaring burns.

"You only have five minutes," the first solider said in a monotone. He threw several books on the floor, disturbing the dust. "We'll be outside."

Marak sighed and began to rummage through the books. He was glad that the guards had granted his request to look through some of the elven history and legend books.

The king flicked through the first few until he stopped suddenly, starting at a specific page. "Helena? Will you come here for a minute?"

Behind him, Helena shifted in the darkness and came over to him, kneeling down and staring over his shoulder. She tucked a dark strand of raven hair behind her ear before asking "yes?"

"What does this say?" he asked, pointing to a page next to a colorful depiction of two thrones with two floating crowns above them, one dark- the other light.

"It speaks of two queens, though they are treated like goddesses that are rumored to return one day, with great powers. They are supposed to unite all the magically inclined cultures," she said this in a very nonchalant manner.

Marak sensed this. "You don't believe in the legend?"

"I believe in the queens. Whether or not they exist…that's a different story. And yet still, people hope."

He stared up into the sky as the guards entered the room again. "By the looks of things, they have more hope than we do."


	21. Chapter 21: Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Hollow Kingdom.

_A/N: Hello again everyone! So, we have about two chapters more to go. I want to apologize for how bad this story is. To be honest, it jumped around so much and I've been a terrible author. And I apologize. This is not really a story that I take much pride in. I love it, and it's been a long journey. But, it's not well-written, it's lazy and I'm sorry for that. Please forgive me. Here's the next chapter._

--

**Midnight's Moon**

Chapter Twenty-one: Metamorphosis

--

Imogen was silent. She peeked around the corner, her gaze landing on the palace of London. She'd been here once before, when she was very young. She had been here with her father.

She remembered how he held her hand when they walked up the steps, their heels clicking loudly and satisfyingly on the marble. She could still hear the sound of his pleasant laughter and remembered the exact shade of green his eyes had been.

Oh how she missed him.

Her mind shifted to sadder memories, her mother sobbing, the sullen funeral and waking up the morning after, feeling like the world was empty and that nothing would ever be the same. She felt so empty.

And now, as she reached the doors, she faced the same fate. Would she become empty once more? Would she loose the most important man in her life?

She let one small tear drip down her cheek, before walking in with her head held high.

At that moment, something extraordinary happened. Imogen was transformed. Not physically, but emotionally, mentally.

The girl Imogen, the afraid, unsure Imogen, faded away, like the shedding of skin. The creature that appeared was much different. This was Imogen the queen. She was regal, elegant and confident.

As radiant as the sun, Imogen walked down the halls of the palace. Her eyes were set, determined.

She would save the goblins, if not for herself, if not for Marak, then for her people, who deserved to survive.

&.&.&.&.&.&.

King Septimus's smile faded. "You two?!" His ringed fingers pointed, shaking in outrage at the sight he saw before him: those bratty twins from his tribe. He'd never liked those two. The girl was too much of a know-it-all and the boy was too determined, a threat. He turned to Paul. "Why did you bring them here?"

Paul bowed low. "They requested to see you, my lord. I thought it was the only proper thing to do…"

"We're not interested being 'proper!'" the king yelled, slamming his fist on the arm rest of his throne.

"My apologies, my liege," the mortal bowed.

King' Septimus's anger was not to be assuaged. "Your apologies mean nothing to me."

Paul may have seemed collected, but he was shaking very slightly. Something inside of him knew that everything was bent on him playing this part, for however long and to whatever extent.

"Because of your insolence," the king cried out, "he dies."

His finger pointed to a man that Paul hadn't noticed before. Or, rather, a monster. He had dark, wet hair and he was shirtless. His arm had fur swirling up it oddly and his arms were drawn back, tied around a large pillar that hung on his shoulders.

Although, the king's face was becoming fiercer by the second and Paul's uncertainty was growing greater and greater. Perhaps, he thought, I shouldn't have gotten involved in something that's not my business.

_You've been doing a lot of that lately, haven't you? _A voice in his head smirked a little.

Before he had time to process any truth in this, the doors flew open and-low and behold- Imogen walked in.

"Who in the blazes are you?!" the king would explode soon, Paul knew.

She held her head high with a quiet confidence that Paul had never seen in her before. "My name is Imogen. I am the queen of the Goblins. I am here to receive my husband."

The king sat back, his anger turning quickly into amusement. "Receive him? He's not being given, I'm afraid."

The queen was not to be deterred. "But you will."

He sat back and crossed his arms. "And why, may I ask, do you think that?"

Her lips curled into a clever smile, one that Paul didn't recognize; it made him doubt if this was even Imogen at all. "I believe I have something you want."

He rubbed his chin, one eyebrow popping up. "Go on."

"I have come on contact with the two queens of old. I am willing to trade their services, for my husband," her face held no lies, though there was a certain tint of grimness to it.

King Septimus froze. "You…know of the queens? You have acquired their souls?"

Imogen nodded. "Any way you look at it, you win."

He grinned. He knew, this, of course. And was pleased that she knew his dominance. "And how can you prove this?" he asked, more than convinced but not wanting to seem so.

She looked him square in the eyes. "I can't. You just have to trust me."

He stared. Her gaze was firm and confident. But besides that, her eyes had changed hue. From their normal deep blue, to a deep red, and then to a purple before reverting back.

Had the unfortunate elven king taken time to gaze at his prisoner, he might've seen several emotions flash through his face: tormented, confused, pleased and then sliding back into a blank stare.

Marak knew two things. And that second thing was bursting through the doors that moment.

A group of ragtag elves entered the room. Among them, was Helena. She was more hauntingly beautiful than Marak remembered. He still remembered her tortured expression when he was forced out of the hut and away by a group of hooded elves.

But her expression was set as she hid among them. A man, in the front, took the lead. "We have come to reclaim the throne."

King Septimus laughed. "There is nothing you can do now. I am king over all London. I have mass armies at my command. Do you think a group of inferior misfits can stop me?"

Helena was suddenly in the front of the group. "No. But I can."

Her eyes, too, changed hue.

Suddenly, King Septimus's eyes grew wide. He knew the secret too.


	22. Chapter 22: Journey's End

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hollow Kingdom series.

A/N: _Well, we've come to the end. Thank you for coming along this rough, long journey with me. I apologize for its terrible quality. It's one of the worst stories that I've ever written as far as quality and flow. I apologize that people don't seem to like the fact that Imogen broke all the King's Wife rules. But, that's the way the story goes. And that's who she is. I love this story. I love these characters and I know I haven't really done them justice. But finally, this story draws to a close. I wrote this chapter last night at about one' o'clock in the morning. I really like this chapter, and the ending. But I can see that some people will not. Thank you for staying with me, if you have. And enjoy, the final chapter. _

_--_

**Midnight's Moon**

Chapter Twenty-Two: Journey's End

--

The king practically tripped over himself to bow down at Helena's feet. "My lady, my dear lady! Please forgive me for how I treated you."

Helena's eyes were cold and unforgiving, almost completely dark now. She lifted his face up to her own. "You have very been very bad, elf king…" her voice was not her own.

Suddenly, another man was at the king's side, bowing lower if that was possible. He seemed horribly disfigured as he threw his hands above his head and pleaded.

"You should not have treated me like that," she rubbed his chin thoughtfully, staring through him with her strange eyes.

He fell on the ground. "Please pardon him!" he looked toward the hunched man.

Helena did not seem to be pleased. "Lying and pleading will get you nowhere, young Septimus."

"Nowhere indeed," chimed another droning voice, this one belonging to Imogen. Her eyes were glazed over with a glossy white sheen. She appeared at Helena's side. "Welcome back…sister."

The king stood shakily, slowly, as to not disturb the two girls or attract their attention. And with a swift nod of his head, commanded several of the guards to seize them.

Many of them ran over and surrounded the elf rebels, while four others went over to the young women.

As one of the younger, more inexperienced guards tried to grip onto the Helena's scarred arm, he was thrown back as a burst of light filled the room.

Helena and Imogen clasped hands and began to float in the air as the many windows shattered, letting in blinding light and dizzying winds.

King Septimus found himself swept up in the wind, unable to weigh himself down.

And as the winds grew stronger, the two faced each other, placing their hands together. As one, they spoke:

_Together forever_

_The queens are appeased_

_Let two become one_

_Under our sweet declaration_

_May all those who oppose us be destroyed_

_As our spirits lay to rest_

_Peace will come for ninety years_

_Between the goblins and elves_

And slowly, the light began to fade, and the wind slowed. The two girls drifting down to the ground; Helena landing gracefully on feet and Imogen being swept up into the newly-freed goblin king's arms.

He kissed her sweetly, a smile on his face. "I missed you."

Imogen, now fully herself again, smiled back weakly. "I missed you too."

He put her onto her feet once more, before hugging her tightly. She hugged back, a few relieved tears slipping out of her eyes.

Lith and Lila were both very shocked, though Marta was yawning. "Well, that almost went well." She shrugged. "You done good, you two."

"You too, if I do say so myself," Lith grinned.

Marta rolled her eyes. "Don't try to get on my good side."

"What about-" Lila stopped mid-sentence, to find her answer right before her eyes: King Septimus, late king of the elves was dead. He had been killed by a long shard of glass in the gale.

Marak and his wife joined them presently, the former informing the two that they were newly appointed king and queen, to rule for as long as their lives should be. And the two kings formed a pact then, a pact of peace for as long as they both should live.

And so it was that the first goblin and elf alliance came to be, and all because of an unconventional queen, who could not be placed in the social norm.

Marak and Imogen lived happily, and had their first child: a girl. They named her Claire. She was a beautiful young thing, with eyes the color of the pale moon and dark hair like her father's. She was more elf than goblin, that seemed clear.

Their second child came two years after: a boy.

And Imogen did not cry.

He was named Marak Horsehair, for his long silky, silver hair and legs of a horse. He would grow up to be a great king, kind-hearted and caring. He would be known for his search for peace, and having the fairest of faces among the kings of his past (though he was not one to flaunt it).

Claire grew up to be an advisor to her brother and an ambassador to the goblins for the elves. She was beautiful and desired by many men, both elf and goblin. But she, like her brother, was more interested in doing her service (though she did end up marrying a charming werecat).

Lith and Helena got married, ruling failry as king and queen, making sure to ratify Septimus's idea of the hut of the hideous and embracing beauty in all its forms.

As for Paul, he fell for Lila, though the feelings weren't mutual at first. But soon, she began to like him and married him when she was of age. She lived among the humans for many years, but never forgot to visit her own home now and then.

Ella came to visit every once and a while, and came to call the goblin city her permanent home.

And as for Marta, she went back to her old life where she pretended to be all sweet and nice, never bothering anything but her knitting (which she did not enjoy). She lived with her brother in the palace and soon became one of the most passionate political activists of her time.

So the two worlds lived in peace, while the world of humans went on bustling and bumbling without a thought of what happened ever so long ago.

Of course, peace doesn't always last. And another elf king would come, one that would disrupt the peace.

But that is another story entirely.

A/N: _So that's the end. What did you think? Like it? Hate it? Let me know. Thanks again. And goodbye!_


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